How to delete a Facebook account permanently

Facebook emerged as one of the greatest things since sliced bread. It slowly took hold of the masses and began controlling our every move – kind of. We turn to social apps like Facebook to organize events, catch up with old friends, stalk ex-partners, post our daily lives and keep our photos safe and sound.

That doesn’t come without its flaws though, and Facebook as increasingly come under fire for several reasons, the most recent one being a certain privacy scandal. People are fleeing the ship, and if it’s something you want to do then you have two options.

Option One: Deactivate your account

Option Two: Permanently delete your account

Whats the difference? Well, deactivating your account removes your digital presence from the world until you log back in. As far as anyone is concerned, you’ve vanished. Deleting it permanently however means you will literally delete your account. There’s no undoing it. No grovelling for Facebook to bring you back to life. If you permanently delete your account, that’s exactly what will happen. So, how is it done?

Deactivating Your Account

If after a long hard think you’ve decided you don’t want to completely delete your profile but you do want some time away from the online communication realms, then you should first send out a little status just letting people know that you’re about to vanish. Then after that:

If you’re on a browser:

– Sign in to your Facebook account

– Navigate to the top right of your Facebook page (any page will do)

– Find “Settings”

– Find “General” 

– Select “Manage Your Account” 

– Click on “Deactivate”

If you’re on the app:

– Tap on the “Menu” icon in the top right corner

– Tap on “Account Settings” —> “General” —> “Deactivate”

– You’ll need to enter your password again

At this point you’ll be forced to complete a survey to explain why you would even think of leaving the wonder that is Facebook. You have to choose something in order to continue. There’s also a tick box you can tick. Leaving it blank (or un-ticked) will result in Facebook contacting you even after you’ve deactivated your account. Tap on the “Deactivate” button again. You’ll need to enter your password one last time.

That’s all there is to it really. It’s simple and you can easily reactivate your account by logging in.

Permanently Deleting Your Account

This step is actually quite easy, although it does take a good long while to complete. You actually have to contact Facebook directly to do this step.

First you need to go to the account deletion section of Facebook which you can access by clicking on this link here. Follow the on-screen prompts and then by the end of it, you’ll have up-to 90 days to wait until the process has been completed. If you log back into your account at any point before the deletion stage has happened, you’ll automatically cancel the deletion and your account will remain as usual.