How to Permanently Delete a Facebook Account

Edited by Maniac, Eric, Maluniu, Dave Crosby and 145 others

If you’re done with Facebook, you may be running around in circles trying to figure out how to delete your account. They certainly don’t make it easy to find. Follow this guide to make sure that you save all of the data you need and delete your account for good.

Steps

1. 1
   Save any data you need. Before you delete your account, save any photos and contact information you need from your account. You will lose access to all of this when you delete your account.
   • You can download a copy of all of your Facebook data through the Account Settings. Click on the Gear icon in the upper-right corner to access it. Click the link that says “Download a copy of your Facebook data”.
   • Download individual pictures by clicking the Download link at the bottom when you open them.
2. 2
   Clear your Facebook history. You can open the Activity Log to undo all of your previous actions on Facebook, such as liking posts and comments you’ve made. This will help ensure that as little data about you remains as possible after your account is deleted.
   • To access the Activity Log, click the Privacy button in the top-right corner. Select “Who can see my stuff?” Click the link for the Activity Log. Here you can choose which parts of your activity you would like to delete.
3. 3
   Visit the Delete Account page. This page cannot be accessed through Facebook unless you search for it. You can also follow this link. Click the “Delete my Account” button to start the account deletion process.[1]
   
   
   
4. 4
   Enter your password and the CAPTCHA. Once you have entered these, press “Okay” to permanently delete your account. You will need to wait 14 days for the deletion to take effect.
   
   
   
   • You need to have access to your Facebook account in order to delete it this way. If you can’t remember your password, use Facebook’s password reset service before deleteing your account.
5. 5
   Try a temporary deactivation instead of deleting your account. If you're not 100% sure that you want to permanently remove all that information, you can temporarily deactivate your Facebook account.[2]
   
   
   
   • Click the Settings icon and select Account Settings.
   • Open the Security section from the left menu.
   • Click the “Deactivate your account” link
   • Fill out the form for deactivating your account. You will still be able to be linked in posts and messaged, though you will not receive notifications about it.