How to temporarily deactivate your Facebook account without losing your data

Borhan Uddin
6 May, 2022

 

Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Deactivate your Facebook account rather than deleting it for a less drastic version of stepping away. 
 

How do I temporarily deactivate my Facebook account?

 

You can deactivate your account temporarily and choose to come back whenever you want.
To deactivate your account:
  1. From your main profile, click account in the top right of Facebook.
  2. Select Settings & privacy, then click Settings.
  3. Click Your Facebook information in the left column. If you have Facebook access to a Page in the new Pages experience: Click Privacy, then click Your Facebook information.
  4. Click Deactivation and deletion.
  5. Choose Deactivate Account, then click Continue to Account Deactivation and follow the instructions to confirm.
When your account is deactivated:
  • No one else can see your profile.
  • Some information, such as messages that you sent to friends, may still be visible.
  • Your friends may still see your name in their friends list. This is only visible to your friends, and only from their friends list.
  • Group admins may still be able to see your posts and comments, along with your name.
  • You will not be able to use your Facebook account to access Oculus products or your Oculus information.
  • Pages that only you control will also be deactivated. If your Page is deactivated, people can't see your Page or find your Page if they search for it. If you don't want your Page to be deactivated, you can give someone else full control of your Page. You'll then be able to deactivate your account without deactivating the Page.
Bear in mind that if you choose to keep Messenger active or are logged in to Messenger when you deactivate your Facebook account, then Messenger will remain active. Learn how to deactivate Messenger.
When your Facebook account is deactivated, but you still have Messenger:
  • You can still chat with friends on Messenger.
  • Your Facebook profile picture will still be visible in your conversations on Messenger.
  • Other people can search for you to send you a message.
Reactivating your account:
If you'd like to come back to Facebook after you've deactivated your account, you can reactivate your account at any time by logging back in to Facebook or by using your Facebook account to log in somewhere else. Remember, you'll need to have access to the email address or mobile number that you use to log in to complete the reactivation.
If you're the only person that has full control of a deactivated Page, you can reactivate your Page after you reactivate your Facebook account.
Learn how to permanently delete your account.
 
  • You can deactivate or delete your Facebook account in the Settings tab.
  • Deactivating a Facebook account is temporary, while deleting a Facebook account is permanent.
  • When you deactivate Facebook, people will not be able to see your timeline or find your account.
  • Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

    If you need a temporary or permanent break from Facebook, there are options beyond simply logging out of your account. You can deactivate or delete your Facebook account in the settings section of the social media platform in just a few clicks. 

    Deactivating Facebook will hide your timeline and account from anyone trying to view it. You can reactivate it at any time by logging back in, and all your data will be preserved.

    But if you're planning on permanently deleting Facebook, saving your personal information like photos and status updates before deleting your account for good is important, since it will be erased.

    Here's what you need to deactivate or delete your Facebook account, and what you should know when doing either.

    How to temporarily deactivate a Facebook account 

    1. On Facebook, click the down arrow at the top-right of the screen.
    2. Click Settings & privacy, then Settings.

 
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