Delete your Facebook account permanently

Social media · Medium · ~25 min

Sources retrieved 21/08/2026 · Review in progress

A Facebook account can be deactivated temporarily or deleted permanently. Deletion removes your profile, photos and messages — deactivation only hides them.

How to delete your account

  1. Know the difference

    Deactivation hides your account and is reversible by signing back in. Deletion starts the permanent removal process, which can still be cancelled during a grace window.

  2. Download your information first

    Use Facebook's own Download Your Information tool before deleting if you want to keep photos and messages.

  3. Delete the account

    Open Settings and find the account ownership and control section containing deactivation and deletion. Follow the instructions and confirm with your password.

  4. Mind the grace window

    If you change your mind, don't log in during the recovery window — signing in cancels the deletion.

Not enough? Send a GDPR request

Copy the controller contact below and build the letter in your browser. The letter includes an .ics reminder for the one-month response deadline.

Create an erasure request (Article 17) Create an access request (Article 15)

Frequently asked questions

Does deleting Facebook also delete Messenger?

Deleting your Facebook account also ends Messenger use on the same credentials. Check the current behavior in Facebook's own help pages.

What about WhatsApp and Instagram links?

Those accounts are separate, but Accounts Center links them. Review the connections before deleting.

What if they ignore my GDPR request?

The deadline is one month (GDPR Article 12(3)). After that you can complain to your data protection authority — our generator produces the ready-made letter.

Sources and verification

Known gaps

These facts could not be verified from a source — we don't guess:

  • Account deletion page Facebook's deletion help pages (facebook.com/help/delete_account) blocked automated fetching (HTTP 400). The current deletion path must be verified in a browser.
  • Data export The ”Download Your Information” tool URL could not be verified.
  • AI-training opt-out Meta's third-party-sharing and AI-training controls could not be fetched (HTTP 400). The current Accounts Center setting must be verified.
  • Controller postal address The address Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., Merrion Road, Dublin 4 is widely published but was not confirmed from a Meta source.
  • Retention after deletion The deletion timeline could not be verified from a source.

Report outdated info

This is general guidance, not legal advice.