How to Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently (2026)

To delete Facebook permanently in 2026, download your data first, then go to Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion, select your Facebook account, choose Delete account, and confirm with your password. Facebook keeps a 30-day grace period during which logging back in cancels the deletion. After that, full purge takes up to 90 days. Deletion does not remove your name, address, and phone number from third-party data broker sites — that requires a separate step.

Before You Delete: 4 Things to Do First

1. Download Your Facebook Data

1. Go to Settings & privacy → Settings → Your information → Download your information.
2. Select a date range (choose "All time" to be safe), a format (HTML for readability, JSON for portability), and media quality (High).
3. Click Request a download. Facebook emails a download link when it is ready — often within a few hours, sometimes up to a day.
4. Download the ZIP and store it somewhere you will still have access to after deletion.

2. Replace Facebook Login on Other Services

Any site or app you signed into with "Continue with Facebook" will lose access when you delete. Common examples: Spotify, Airbnb, Duolingo, Tinder, Pinterest. Before deleting Facebook:

1. In Facebook, go to Settings & privacy → Settings → Apps and Websites to see the full list of active connections.
2. For each service you want to keep, sign in and add an email/password login (or switch to Google/Apple login) so you retain access.
3. Only then remove the Facebook connection on the service side.

3. Transfer Ownership of Pages and Groups

If you are the sole admin of a Facebook Page or Group, deleting your account can delete or orphan them.

• Pages: Add another Page admin at Page settings → Page roles, promote them to Admin, and confirm they can log in.
• Groups: Promote another member to Admin at the Group's Members list → three-dot menu → Make admin.

4. Check Messenger, Meta Quest, and Subscriptions

Deleting Facebook also deletes Messenger, Meta Quest (VR) purchases and library, Meta Pay records, and Facebook Marketplace listings. Cancel active subscriptions (Facebook Dating, boosted posts, in-app purchases) first so you are not billed after the account is gone.

Step 1: Open Your Accounts Center

Facebook moved account deletion into Meta Accounts Center in 2023 and it still lives there in 2026. The path is the same on desktop and mobile:

• Desktop: Click your profile photo (top-right) → Settings & privacy → Settings. In the left sidebar, click Accounts Center.
• Mobile app: Tap the menu (three lines) → scroll to Settings & privacy → Settings → tap Accounts Center at the top of the settings list.

Step 2: Navigate to Deactivation or Deletion

Inside Accounts Center:

1. Tap Personal details.
2. Tap Account ownership and control.
3. Tap Deactivation or deletion.
4. Select the Facebook account (or profile, if you use multiple profiles) you want to remove.

Step 3: Choose Delete Account (Not Deactivate)

Facebook presents two options — pick carefully:

• Deactivate account: Your profile is hidden but Facebook keeps everything indefinitely. Messenger still works. You can return anytime.
• Delete account: Everything is scheduled for permanent deletion after a 30-day grace period. Messenger is deleted with it.

Select Delete account and tap Continue.

Step 4: Confirm and Enter Your Password

Facebook shows a summary of what will be deleted and asks for your password. Enter it and tap Continue → Delete account. A confirmation screen appears — your account is now scheduled for deletion.

Step 5: Wait Out the 30 + 90 Day Timeline

• Days 1-30: Grace period. Your profile is hidden from other users but recoverable if you log in.
• Day 31: Deletion begins. Your profile, photos, posts, videos, friend list, likes, comments, events, and admin-owned Groups are removed from Facebook's live services.
• Days 31-120: Meta says it can take up to 90 additional days to purge all backup copies from its servers. Some log data may persist longer in de-identified form.

What Gets Deleted vs What Stays

Deleted: Your profile, photos, posts, videos, friend list, likes, reactions, comments, events you created, Groups where you are the sole admin, Messenger conversations from your side.

Not deleted:

• Messages you sent to friends — they still see them in their own inbox.
• Content others shared, downloaded, or screenshotted.
• Your name briefly appearing in friends' friend lists until Facebook fully processes deletion.
• Third-party data broker records that scraped your Facebook profile before deletion.

Common Problems and Fixes

You Forgot Your Password

Use facebook.com/login/identify to trigger a password reset via email or phone. You cannot delete the account without confirming the password.

You Cannot Access Two-Factor Authentication

If your 2FA method (phone number, authenticator app) is lost, submit an account recovery request at facebook.com/login/identify. Meta may require photo ID verification, which can take several days.

The Deletion Option Is Grayed Out

This usually means your Facebook account is linked to a required Meta product (like a business Meta account with unresolved billing). Resolve outstanding billing and remove business roles before retrying.

You Want to Delete Instagram Too

If your Instagram is in the same Meta Accounts Center as your Facebook, the Deactivation or deletion screen lets you select which accounts to delete. You can delete both together or one at a time.

The Bottom Line

Deleting Facebook takes about 5 minutes of clicks and 30 days of patience, but the prep work — data download, replacing Facebook Login on other apps, transferring Page and Group admin rights — is where people trip up. Do those first, then go through Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → Delete account.

Remember that leaving Facebook only closes one channel. Your name, address, phone number, and relatives are still listed on 100+ data broker sites that scraped or matched your profile years ago. Run a free PrivacyOn scan to see what is still out there — and let PrivacyOn remove it automatically so leaving Facebook actually reduces your public footprint.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to permanently delete a Facebook account in 2026?

Facebook waits a 30-day grace period before beginning deletion, then says it may take up to 90 additional days to purge all backup copies. Practically, your profile disappears from public view within the first 30 days, and full server-side purge completes within about 120 days total.

Can I recover my Facebook account after deleting it?

Yes — but only during the 30-day grace period. Log in with your email and password within 30 days of confirming deletion and Facebook automatically cancels the request. After day 30, deletion is irreversible and Meta cannot restore data.

What is the difference between deactivating and deleting Facebook?

Deactivating hides your profile from other users but keeps everything on Facebook's servers indefinitely and preserves Messenger. Deleting permanently removes your profile, photos, and Messenger after the 30-day grace period. Choose deactivate for a break, delete for a clean exit.

Does deleting Facebook remove me from data broker sites like Spokeo or BeenVerified?

No. Data brokers scrape Facebook years before you delete and merge it with public records like voter rolls and property databases. Your listings on Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Radaris, and 100+ other people-search sites remain after Facebook is gone. Services like PrivacyOn handle broker removal automatically — including sites that require phone verification or notarized removal requests.

Will my Messenger conversations be deleted too?

Yes, from your side. When your Facebook account is deleted, your Messenger account is deleted with it. However, messages you already sent remain in your friends' inboxes — Meta does not delete both sides of a conversation.

What happens to Pages and Groups I admin if I delete Facebook?

If you are the sole admin of a Page or Group, deleting your account can remove or orphan the Page or Group. Before deleting, add another admin at Page/Group settings and confirm they can access it. Groups with no admin for an extended period are eventually archived by Facebook.

Do I have to delete Facebook to reduce my online exposure?

No. Locking down your Facebook privacy settings (limit past posts, remove profile from search engines, restrict friend list visibility) reduces exposure while keeping the account. If your goal is broader — getting your name, address, and phone off the public internet — the highest-leverage action is data broker removal, not deleting Facebook. Run a free PrivacyOn scan to see which sites still list you.