How Do You Deactivate Facebook On Any Device: Everything You Need To Know!

The need to deactivate a Facebook account arises when you are tired of using this most popular, in fact, most-used social media platform. Or, maybe it’s a security reason. But how do you deactivate Facebook? We have you covered with our dedicated guide, covering the entire process from deactivating to deleting the account completely.

Key Takeaways:

You can deactivate your Facebook Account by visiting the settings option on Facebook profile and following certain procedures.
Temporarily deactivation is a short time break from Facebook. All your data remains as it is, but others won’t be able to find it, until you reactivate.
You can perform the deactivation process on any device – iPhone, Android, or Desktop.
You can still use Messenger after deactivating your Facebook profile.
If you want a permanent break from Facebook, deleting your account is the option.

Reasons You May Want to Deactivate Your Facebook Account

Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question. Each one has its own reason to deactivate Facebook. Yet, we have tried pulling out some leading causes, so get to know them!

Reason 1: Want a break from social media:

Facebook is the biggest social media app, with over 2.11 billion daily users on the platform. But sometimes you want a break from all the hustle and bustle. So, you decide to quit Facebook for some time (temporarily). Probably, deactivating the account on Facebook is the one option you can choose at this moment. And when the user feels like coming back, they can reactivate their accounts simply.

Reason 2: Security Concerns:

Earlier, Facebook has been into data breaches and various data selling acts, as mentioned in ‘Wikipedia’s facebook security concern’ page. Such acts kind of terrified the user, and sometimes, he considers taking a break or probably delete the account permanently. So, ‘privacy at risk’ is one of the most common reasons behind deactivating Facebook.

Reason 3: Found a better option, based on the requirement:

Facebook is for both personal and professional usage. Sometimes, when business requirements are not fulfilled with Facebook, and meanwhile, a better option is visible, users can switch to another platform to make the most out of their business. This could be another reason the user considers switching.

Reason 4: No longer want to use Facebook

Who knows your cause, but you have decided to part ways from Facebook. That’s a big decision by the way, and something big must have occurred, which is a trigger point to shut it off entirely. Well, this could be your own call, you can anytime decide whether you want to continue using Facebook or decide to quit. When you decide to part ways, follow the account deletion process mentioned below.

Reason 5: Faced spam, fraud or other such incidents

Facebook ensures users’ safety by blocking spam and fraudsters. However, sometimes users come across such spammers or con artists, who take advantage of them. With this negative experience, users do not wish to continue on Facebook. Thus, decided to quit the platform.

How To Deactivate Facebook Account

The process of deactivating Facebook is a simple one; all you need is to stick to this guide. Remember, you should follow each step carefully. But if you face any issue, kindly seek help to avoid mistakes. Here is the simplified step guide.

These steps are applicable for Android and iOS devices to deactivate the Facebook profile.

Open Facebook and pick your profile from the top right.
Pick the ‘Settings and privacy’ option. Then, tap ‘Settings.’
Tap ‘Accounts Centre’ in the top left of the screen.
Under Accounts settings, click the personal details option.
Now, select ‘Account ownership and control.’
You will see two options: Deactivate or deletion.
Select the profile and deactivate account.
Tap ‘Continue.’

Deactivate Facebook Account On Desktop

This guide is for PC users to enable a temporary break on your FB profile. Check below:

Tap the profile after you open Facebook on your PC.
Next, click ‘Settings and Privacy’ option, followed by ‘Settings’
Tap Accounts Center and then personal details.
After that, tap ‘Account ownership and control.’
Finally, tap deactivation and then pick the profile you want to deactivate.
Tap ‘Continue’ option and follow the guide.

How To Reactivate Your Facebook Account

The steps to recover your deactivated Facebook profile follow the same path as you chose to deactivate, but with a slight difference, of course. The process is well-defined below:

Open Your Facebook Account.
click the profile icon in the top right of the screen.
Select ‘settings and privacy’ and then click settings.
Moving on, pick ‘accounts centre’ and click personal details
Now, tap account ownership and control option.
Finally, Reactivation and choose your profile you want to reactivate.

How To Delete Facebook Account Permanently?

Profile deletion is another option the user can opt for, but that should not be considered as an alternative to deactivation because as soon as you delete your account, your profile will be omitted permanently.

That means all the account information – from images, posts, and timeline – will be deleted.

If you are ready with the post-effect of account deletion, follow the steps here:

Visit your Facebook profile on the app.
Tap the ‘three parallel’ line icon.
Select ‘settings and privacy’ after you scroll down, followed by the settings icon.
Select ‘Accounts Center’
And pick ‘personal details’
Click ‘Account ownership and control.’
Choose ‘Deactivation or deletion.’
Select the profile you want to delete, and tap ‘delete account.’
Finally, tap Continue and follow the steps to finish it up.

Note: If you deleted your Facebook profile accidentally but no longer want to delete your profile, you have 30 days to change your decision. Post it, all your data will be deleted, and you won’t be able to retrieve your account.

How To Download Your Facebook Account Data

Facebook allows downloading your account information before deleting it. It is possible through the dedicated steps for it. Consider following them below:

On Computer:

First click profile.
Visit settings & privacy, and then the Settings app.
Pick Accounts Center, and then Your information and permissions.
Select ‘Download your information’ option and click ‘Download or transfer information.’
Pick the profile you want to delete.
Then, tap the ‘next’ icon.
In the end, select available information or specific types of information.
Select between Download to device or Transfer to destination.
Finally, follow the process to complete the instructions.

On Mobile:

Open the profile and tap settings and privacy.
Then, select ‘settings’
After that, select the account center, and your information and permissions.
Tap ‘Download your information’ followed by Download or transfer information
Select the profile and tap next.
Choose whether you want to download or transfer to your device.
Follow the steps to complete.

Difference Between Deactivating And Deleting a Facebook Profile

The difference is clear: deactivating a profile means you have put a stop to the profile for some time. You have the option to reactivate your FB account whenever you want to, whereas it’s not possible if you delete your profile.

Deleting your profile states that you have erased all of your data from your account. Plus, you no longer have access to your account.

Although Facebook provides a last chance to retrieve your profile within 30 days after deleting it. If you miss that, you have lost your account.

Here is the clear differentiation:

After Deactivating Facebook Profile	After Deleting Facebook Profile
You can reactivate your profile anytime you wish to.	Retrieving the account becomes impossible after 30 days.
You have all your data stored in your profile.	All of your information, including images, videos, and others, is deleted and will never be restored.
Simply deactivate or put a stop to your account	Entirely delete your account.
Is ideal for people for short-term break from Facebook	Is for those who want to quit Facebook
Easy process on all devices	Easy process on all devices.

Concluding

Well, how do you deactivate Facebook? It’s an effortless process that requires somewhere between 2 to 10 minutes. In a nutshell, to deactivate your FB profile, simply visit the profile (on computer or phone), tap settings & privacy, then account center. Under the Accounts settings tab, select personal details and then Account ownership and control. Finally, select Deactivate, select profile, and tap continue. Your account is now deactivated. This guide has the complete process to deactivate a profile or put it on hold temporarily. Meanwhile, you get a complete deletion process as supplementary.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Qs 1: How do I temporarily deactivate from Facebook?

Ans: You can deactivate your Facebook profile anytime you wish to. To do so, select ‘Settings and privacy’→ Settings→ Account Center→ Account settings→ Personal Information→ Account ownership and control→ select deactivate. Choose profile and tap continue.

Qs 2: Why Can’t I Find The Deactivation Button On Facebook?

Ans: If you are not able to find the deactivation button, your Facebook profile may have been deleted or already deactivated previously. You will not find the option in either case.

Qs 3: Where is the deactivation page on Facebook?

Ans: It is on your profile, under the account settings section. You can also find it by visiting Facebook Help Center. Contact Facebook support for more help.