How to delete your Facebook account

The following instructions are for the web version of Facebook, but you can follow almost the same sequence in the mobile app.

You will be ready to delete your account once the archive download is complete.

Meta notes that it delays termination for a few days after the request has been processed. The deletion will be reversed if you log in again during this period. So don’t register, otherwise you’ll have to start the process all over again.

Some things, such as comments you left on a friend’s post, may still appear even after your account is deleted. Facebook also says copies of certain items, such as log entries, will remain in its database, but notes that they are not linked to personal identifiers.

If you’re really serious about giving up anything related to Meta, remember that the company also owns several other popular services like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, so you should delete your accounts there as well.

Update January 9, 2025: This article was originally published on September 28, 2018 and has been updated several times to reflect changes to the Facebook interface.