Facebook may be one of the busiest and most popular social networks, but that does not necessarily mean that it is the perfect medium for everyone. Some people might choose not to be very active on it, while others might no longer want to use it. If you wish to delete an already existing account, simply follow the steps below:
- Click on the icon representing the dropdown menu. This icon can be found top right of your Facebook page.
- Choose ‘Settings & Privacy,’ then click on ‘Settings.’
- Click on ‘Your Facebook Information’ in the column seen on the left.
- Click on ‘Deactivation and Deletion.’
- Select ‘Permanently Delete Account,’ then proceed to click on ‘Continue to Account Deletion.’
- Click on ‘Delete Account,’ enter your current password, and click on ‘Continue.’
Do understand that the deletion of your account has several consequences that you should take note of. Since this process is permanent, you will not be able to reactivate your account. Anything that you have added to your feed – such as your profile, photos, posts, videos, etc. – will be permanently deleted. You will no longer have access to Facebook’s personal messaging service, Facebook Messenger. However, some information, such as messages that you sent to friends, might still be visible to them after you delete your account. This is because copies of messages you have sent are stored in your inboxes of your friends.
It might also be possible that you do not want all your content to be deleted, but instead, you simply want to take a break from Facebook. If this is the case, you can temporarily deactivate your account through the following steps:
- Click on the dropdown menu icon.
- Choose ‘Settings & Privacy,’ then click on ‘Settings.’
- Click on ‘Your Facebook Information’ in the column seen on the left.
- Click on ‘Deactivation and Deletion.’
- Select ‘Deactivate Account.’ Click on ‘Continue to Account Deactivation’ and follow the instructions provided to confirm.
When your account is deactivated, no one else can view or browse through your profile. Your friends may still be able to see your name in their own ‘Friends’ list. However, this is only visible to your friends, and only from their ‘Friends’ list. Group admins might still be able to see your name, posts, and comments.
If, at any time in the future, you would like to come back to Facebook after you have deactivated your account, you can reactivate your account simply by logging back into Facebook through your device, or by using your Facebook account to log in to another website.
