How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account (2026)

Deactivating Facebook and deleting it are not the same thing, and the difference matters if your goal is actually removing your data rather than just stepping away for a while. Here's how to do each, what really happens to your information, and why deleting your profile is only part of a real privacy cleanup.

Key Takeaways

• Deactivation hides your profile instantly and keeps all your data intact — it's fully reversible by simply logging back in, whenever you want.
• Deletion is meant to be permanent: go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → Delete account.
• You have 30 days to cancel a deletion request by logging back in. After that window closes, Facebook can take up to 90 additional days to fully purge your data from its systems.
• Messages you sent to other people remain in their inboxes even after your account is deleted — deletion only removes your side of the conversation and your account, not what others received from you.
• A linked Business Manager or ad account is a separate entity — deleting your personal profile does not delete it. Handle business assets separately before or after deleting your personal account.

Deactivation vs. Deletion: Know Which One You Want

Deactivation temporarily hides your profile, posts, and photos from other users. Your account and all its data remain fully intact on Facebook's servers, and you can restore everything instantly just by logging back in. This is the right choice if you want a break, not permanent removal.

Deletion is intended to be permanent. Once the process completes, your profile, posts, photos, and most associated data are removed and the account cannot be reactivated.

How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account

Step 1: Download your data first (optional but recommended)

Before deleting, go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information if you want a copy of your photos, posts, and messages.

Step 2: Go to Accounts Center

Navigate to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center.

Step 3: Go to Personal Details → Account Ownership and Control

From there, select Deactivation or deletion.

Step 4: Choose "Delete Account"

Select your Facebook account, then choose Delete Account rather than the deactivation option.

Step 5: Confirm and wait out the 30-day window

Facebook holds the account in a pending-deletion state for 30 days. If you log back in during this window, the deletion is automatically canceled and your account is restored. If you don't, permanent deletion proceeds after the 30 days, though Facebook states the full data purge from its backend systems can take up to 90 additional days beyond that.

What Actually Happens to Your Data

During the 30-day window: Your profile is hidden from other users, similar to deactivation, but the deletion is queued to proceed automatically unless you log back in.

After 30 days (deletion becomes irreversible): Your profile, photos, posts, and most account data begin being permanently removed. This backend purge can take up to 90 additional days to fully complete across Facebook's systems.

What doesn't get removed:

• Messages you sent to other people remain visible in their inboxes. Deleting your account removes your account and its association with those messages on your end, but does not reach into other people's inboxes to delete what you sent them.
• Backups and logs may persist briefly during the purge window for technical and legal reasons.

If You Have a Business Manager or Ad Account

Meta Business Manager accounts and ad accounts are separate entities from your personal Facebook profile. Deleting your personal account does not automatically delete a Business Manager you administer, and ad accounts generally can only be closed, not deleted, unless the entire Business Manager itself qualifies for deletion.

If you manage business assets, handle those separately (transfer ownership to a colleague, or formally close the ad account and Business Manager) before or independently of deleting your personal profile, so you don't lose access to business data you still need or leave an orphaned business asset behind.

Why Deleting Facebook Doesn't Remove You From the Internet

Closing your Facebook account stops future activity on that platform, but it doesn't touch the data broker profiles that may have already scraped information from your public posts, photos, or profile details over the years, sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified operate independently of Facebook and won't be affected by your account deletion.

See the complete data broker opt-out guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to permanently delete a Facebook account?

You have a 30-day window to cancel by logging back in. If you don't, Facebook then takes up to 90 additional days to fully purge your data from its backend systems, so full removal can take up to about 120 days total.

Can I recover my Facebook account after deleting it?

Only during the initial 30-day window, by logging back in, which cancels the deletion automatically. After that window closes, deletion becomes permanent and cannot be undone.

Will deleting Facebook remove messages I sent to friends?

No. Messages you sent remain visible in the recipients' inboxes even after your account and its data are deleted. Deletion only affects your own account and data, not copies already delivered to others.

What happens to my Facebook Business Manager if I delete my personal account?

Nothing automatically. Business Manager and ad accounts are separate from your personal profile and must be handled independently, transferred, closed, or left with another administrator, before or separately from deleting your personal account.

Does deleting Facebook remove my data from people-search sites?

No. Data broker sites that may have scraped your public Facebook information operate independently and require their own separate opt-out requests.

Related Guides

• How to Delete Your Instagram Account
• How AI Companies Scrape and Sell Your Data
• Data Removal for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators
• Complete Data Broker Opt-Out Guide