If you’ve ever been tempted by the prospect of removing yourself from Facebook, then you will already be familiar with the two options available.
Facebook invites users to either deactivate or delete their account – with deactivation a temporary move that can be reversed at any time, while deleting an account is permanent.
However, that’s not all.
If you opt to delete your account, Facebook provides the benefit of a grace period: 30 days in which to change your mind and reinstate your account to full working order.
In this article, we’re sharing what you need to do to recover your deleted Facebook account within the 30 days – and what happens when your 30 days is up!
How to Save Your Account From Being Deleted
Once you submit the request to delete your account, Facebook moves your account to deactivated status for 30 days. If you remain dormant on Facebook and do not log into your account at all during this 30 day period, then your account will be deleted permanently at the end of the 30 days.
However, if at any point during the 30 days you log back into your account, you automatically remove the request to delete it and restore it to full use.
This is because any activity on Facebook shows that you no longer wish for your account to be closed. As soon as you log into a deactivated account, or one which has been deleted less than 30 days ago, you are telling Facebook that you want to remain active on the platform.
Can You Save a Permanently Deleted Account?
Unfortunately, the action of deleting your account can only be reversed within the 30 day grace period. If this passes without you logging into your account, then Facebook will proceed with deleting your account.
Once an account has been officially deleted, it can no longer be recovered.
This is why, if you are unsure about deleting your account permanently, it is always best to deactivate your account for a period of time first and see if you change your mind.
Deactivating your account has the same effect as deleting it, in that friends and users will no longer be able to search for and find you and will be unable to view your profile or message you. The big difference is that deactivation can be reversed at any time, while deleting an account is permanent as soon as that 30 day period is over.
Hopefully this helps you to understand the difference between deleting and deactivating your account, and underlines the permanence of a deleted account.
