Facebook certainly doesn’t have a good track record of protecting its users’ privacy. It has been the victim of numerous privacy scandals, including the infamous Cambridge Analytica incident in 2018 and the 2021 Facebook data breach that compromised the data of more than 533 million Facebook users. If Facebook’s recent vulnerability has made you panic and you want to permanently delete your account, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to delete your Facebook account on the web, Android and iOS. We’ll also show you how to get rid of all your Facebook data, so buckle up and get ready to leave your Facebook days behind.
Steps to Delete Facebook Account (2022)
Steps to Take Before Account Deletion
Backup and Download Data
The first step before deleting your account is to create a backup of all your Facebook data and download it to your computer or mobile device. It will let you keep valuable status updates, photos, videos, messages, friend lists and everything else you do on Facebook. So think of it as a memory bank for your social media life.
1. To download your Facebook data, you need to go to: Settings -> Your Facebook Information and select ‘Download Your Information’.
2. On the next page, you can choose the data you want to download, the format (HTML or JSON) and the image quality on this page. You can choose to include or exclude your activity on Facebook, personal information, friends and followers, registered information, security and login information, non-Facebook apps and websites, preferences and advertising information. Select all relevant categories and Click the “Request download” button to create the backup.
Transfer a Copy of Your Information
In June 2020, Facebook introduced a new tool that allows users to export a copy of their photos and videos to Google Photos. Since then, the company has added support for multiple services such as Google Docs, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Photobucket, Datybook, WordPress Jetpack, Blogger, Backblaze B2, and Koofr. Here’s how you can use the feature to transfer a copy of your information to other services:
1. Open Facebook, go to: Settings -> Your Facebook Informationselect andTransfer a copy of your information” choice.
2. On this page, Facebook lists the common destinations that people choose to transfer their Facebook data to. Select it from the list or click “Next” to manually select the service.
3. You need to connect the target service to your Facebook account to start the transfer. We have a separate guide with instructions for importing photos and videos from Facebook to Google Photos.
Disconnect Third-Party Apps
The next most important step is to disconnect any third-party apps you used Facebook to sign up for. He was directly involved in the 2018 Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Reports suggest that third-party apps can also be compromised, so it’s safe to disconnect them from Facebook and update their login credentials.
1. To disconnect third-party apps, you need to navigate to: ‘Settings -> Apps and websites’ To see a list of apps and websites you’re logged into with Facebook. Select the apps you want to disconnect and click the ‘Uninstall’ button.
2. When the confirmation prompt appears, click ‘Uninstall’ again. At this point, you should know that your data in these apps may be reset, so you may want to sign up for these apps with an email address and bind your data. You can also choose to send notifications to these apps to set an alternate sign-in method.
Delete Facebook Account Using Website
1. Go to Facebook, click the drop-down arrow in the upper right corner and Choose ‘Settings & Privacy -> Settings’ from the list of available options.
2. Under Settings, Select ‘Your Facebook Information’ from the left sidebar menu.
3. Now you will see ‘Disable and Delete’ choice. Click the ‘View’ button next to it to proceed further.
4. You can now choose to temporarily disable or permanently delete your Facebook account. To choose ‘Delete the account‘ and click ‘Continue with Account Deletion’.
5. Before deleting your account, Facebook will remind you that you can download your information, transfer a copy of your information and lose access to Messenger. Click ‘Delete Account’ to confirm.
6. Facebook will ask for your password and remind you to permanently delete your account. Once the deletion has started, you cannot recover it. Enter the password and click ‘Continue’ to complete the process. Congratulations, you deleted your Facebook account!
7. Finally, we recommend clearing your browser cache and history to automatically log out of all web apps connected to your Facebook account.
Delete Facebook Account on Android
The process to delete your Facebook account on mobile in 2022 is the same as on the web, but you’ll have to navigate through a few new menus. To delete your account via Facebook app on Android, follow these steps:
note: We tested account deletion in Facebook app version 356.0.28.112 on Pixel 4a running Android 13 developer preview 1.
1. In the Facebook app, switch to the hamburger menu on the right and scroll down until you see it. Under ‘Settings & Privacy’ find ‘Settings’.
2. Tap on ‘Personal and Account Information’ under Account settings and Select ‘Account Ownership and Control’ To manage your Facebook account.
3. Here, tap on ‘Disable and delete’ and Select ‘Delete account’. After selecting the toggle, tap on ‘Continue deleting account’.
4. You can select the reason or directly tap on ‘Continue account deletion’ to proceed further. from the next page, Tap the ‘Delete account’ button To leave the social media platform owned by Meta forever.
Delete Facebook Account on iPhone
Account deletion is the same as Facebook for Android, except for a few visual differences in button placements. However, you can follow the steps below to avoid confusion and delete your Facebook account on iPhone:
1. Open the Facebook app and press the Menu tab from the bottom navigation bar of the app. Next, tap on ‘Settings & Privacy’ and choose ‘Settings’.
2. From the settings and privacy page, press ‘Personal and account information’ and Select ‘Account ownership and control’ from the next page.
3. Now tap . ‘Disable and Delete’ choice.
4. Select ‘Delete Account’ and tap on ‘Continue deleting account’ to proceed further. Now, choose a reason to delete your Facebook account or tap ‘Continue deleting account’ again to free yourself from Facebook. If you haven’t backed up your data yet, the app will prompt you to do so before proceeding.
And there you go, you’ve now learned how to delete your Facebook account via the website and the company’s Android and iOS apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When you delete your Facebook account, is it really deleted?
Facebook says it will delete all your information when you delete your account, and the process can take up to 90 days. However, the company admits that: Copies of your information may remain in backup after 90 days storage to recover in the event of a disaster, software failure, or other data loss event. The Company may also retain your information for legal issues, breaches of terms, or harm avoidance efforts.
Q: Why does it take 30 days to delete Facebook?
Facebook offers a 30-day recovery window to get your account back in case you change your mind and want your Facebook account back. You cannot reactivate your Facebook account after 30 days.
Q: How can I delete my Facebook account without password?
You cannot delete your Facebook account without a password. If you forgot your password, you can reset it and use the new password to delete your account.
Delete Facebook Account in Easy Steps
The above steps will start the account deletion process, however, your profile is not immediately removed from the platform. You can cancel your Facebook account deletion request within 30 days. Further forward, Facebook claims It takes up to 90 days to delete all information on your profile from the company’s servers. However, it does not include data such as messages you send to someone in Facebook Messenger and other data left over for your interactions with others. Here’s to a happier life without Facebook and its privacy nightmares! Also, don’t worry, you will be able to search Facebook without an account.
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