Facebook enables you to permanently delete your account and eliminate your profile details, images, status updates, and list of friends from the platform. Though the procedure is fairly simple, there are a couple of important guidelines that must be adhered to. This article will guide you through the necessary steps.
Step 1: Back Up Your Data
Before you proceed with deleting your account, it’s advisable to backup all your data. Facebook allows you to download a copy of your information. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to the Settings page.
- Click Your Facebook Information.
- Click Download your information.
- Select the data you want to download and choose the quality of the download.
- Click Create File.
Step 2: Delete Your Account
Once you’ve backed up your data, you can proceed to delete your account. Here’s how:
- Go to https://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account.
- Click on Delete My Account.
- Enter your password and fill in the captcha, then finally click OK.
Please note, once you click on ‘Delete My Account’, your account will be ‘deactivated’ for two weeks. During this time, you can log back into your account and cancel the deletion process.
Step 3: Do Not Sign In
After you’ve initiated the deletion process, make sure you do not sign in to your account for at least 14 days. Also, if you are logged into Facebook on your mobile devices, remember to log out. If you log in during the two weeks after starting the deletion process, the deletion is canceled.
Note: Deleting vs Deactivating Your Facebook Account
It’s worth noting that deleting your Facebook account is different from deactivating your account. When you deactivate your account, you can reactivate it at any time. On the other hand, when you delete your account, all your data is permanently erased and cannot be recovered.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand how to delete your Facebook account. Remember, it’s a permanent decision. So, make sure you’re absolutely certain before proceeding.
