If you’re fed up with social media and want to remove the pressures of the different social platforms from your life for a period of time, then you may be leaning towards deleting Facebook (among other apps).
There are different ways of deleting Facebook – and indeed different ways of removing yourself from the app, both permanently and temporarily.
In this article, we’re sharing the different ways of removing Facebook from your life – and how to choose the right option for you.
Delete vs. Deactivate
When you go through the process of closing your Facebook account, you are offered two main options.
The first is to delete your account permanently, following a grace period of 30 days. During this 30 days you can log into your account to reinstate it, essentially reversing the choice to delete it. If you don’t log in during this time and the 30 days pass without any further action, your account will be deleted and removed from the Facebook system for good.
Deactivating your account is a temporary alternative solution, that essentially removes you and all trace of your account from the platform – but which is reversible as and when you are ready to revisit your Facebook account.
So, if you are 100% sure on deleting your account then opting for ‘Delete’ is of course the best option. However, if there is a chance that you may change your mind in the future, our advice is to opt for the ‘Deactivate’ option instead.
How to Delete or Deactivate Your Account
Regardless of which option you choose, here are the steps you need to take to delete or deactivate your Facebook account:
- Click on the menu button in the bottom right hand corner of your screen, then select the ‘Settings and Privacy’ and ‘Settings’ from the menu
- Click on the Accounts Centre button at the top of the menu
- Select ‘Personal Details’ from the Accounts Centre menu
- Choose ‘Account Ownership and Control’ from the options that appear, then select ‘Deactivation or Deletion’
- Select the Facebook account that you are looking to remove from the system and then double check your choice before choosing to either deactivate or delete
Confirm your choice – and then voila!
NOTE: Your 30 day grace period for deleting your account starts from the day that you submit the request to delete.
How to Delete the Facebook App From Your Device
Deleting the app from your device will remove the instant one-click access to Facebook that most users enjoy. However, it’s important to note that this only removes the app – it does not delete or even affect your Facebook account.
So, if you re-download the app at a later date, or access Facebook via your web browser instead, you will still have full access to your account and profile.
To delete your Facebook app from your device, press and hold the app button on your screen and then select ‘Delete’.
We hope this helps. Deleting Facebook is a process that comes with options – largely centred around whether you want to completely remove the platform from your browsing experience or just put a pause on your Facebook activity for a period of time.
