How to Deactivate Facebook

How to Deactivate Facebook means pausing your profile so it’s hidden until you log back in, while Meta keeps your data for reactivation.

You don’t need to delete your account to take a break. Deactivation is the “pause button”: your profile goes hidden, your name drops off most places, and you can come back by signing in again.

This guide walks you through the exact taps and clicks in the current Meta Accounts Center flow, plus the small settings that trip people up, like Messenger, linked apps, and group admin roles.

Before You Deactivate, Decide What You Want Hidden

Deactivation isn’t one-size-fits-all. A few parts of Facebook can stay visible, and some features keep working unless you turn them off. Taking two minutes to choose your goal saves a lot of “why is this still showing?” frustration later.

Facebook Area	What Deactivation Does	What You May Still See
Your profile and Timeline	Hidden from other people and search	Some past messages can remain in inbox threads
Posts you made	Removed from your profile view	Shared posts copied by others can still exist on their profiles
Comments you left	Your profile link is removed	Comments can stay visible with your name replaced by a generic label
Facebook Messenger	Can stay active if you choose	Friends may still message you if Messenger stays on
Groups you joined	Your membership is hidden while deactivated	Group admin tools may require another admin before you deactivate
Pages you manage	Page roles can be affected	Business tools may keep working if another admin exists
Apps and sites using Facebook Login	Login can stop working	You may need to reset logins on services tied to Facebook
Ads and data used for personalization	Account activity pauses	Meta can still retain past records tied to the account

Quick check: Deactivate vs Delete

Deactivation is reversible with a sign-in. Deletion is meant to be permanent and starts a waiting period. If you’re unsure, pick deactivation first. You can switch to deletion later from the same Accounts Center area.

Download anything you can’t lose

If photos, posts, or message history matter to you, grab a copy before you pause. Facebook’s own tools let you download your information from Accounts Center. It’s a good safety net in case you forget a password or lose access to a login method.

The steps below work on phone and desktop, with the same Accounts Center path. If you searched “how to deactivate facebook” in a hurry, start here.

Meta routes deactivation through Accounts Center. The labels can vary a bit by device, but the path is the same: Settings, Accounts Center, Personal details, then the ownership and control section.

Deactivate in the Facebook app

Open Facebook and make sure you’re on your main profile.
Tap the menu icon, then tap Settings & privacy, then Settings.
Tap Accounts Center.
Tap Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
Tap Deactivation or deletion.
Select your Facebook account or profile if you manage more than one.
Choose Deactivate account, then follow the prompts to confirm.

If you want Meta’s official step list, use the Facebook Help Center page for temporarily deactivate your account.

Deactivate on a computer browser

Go to Facebook and log in.
Click your profile picture, then click Settings & privacy and Settings.
Find Accounts Center in the menu.
Open Personal details → Account ownership and control.
Choose Deactivation or deletion and select Deactivate account.
Confirm with your password if asked.

When Facebook asks why you’re leaving

You may see a short checklist asking for a reason. It doesn’t change the outcome. Treat it like feedback, then move on. If you get an offer to adjust settings instead, you can still continue to deactivation.

What Happens Right After You Deactivate

Most people expect their profile to vanish instantly. In practice, the change is usually quick, but a few traces can linger, especially inside existing message threads or cached views on other people’s devices.

Here’s what you can check in the first five minutes to make sure the pause worked.

Do a quick visibility check

Ask a friend to search your name in Facebook search.
Open one of your past posts using a direct link and see if it still loads.
Check a group where you used to post and see how your name appears on old comments.

Messenger can be the surprise

If you keep Messenger active, your chats can still work even while the Facebook profile is deactivated. That’s handy for staying reachable, but it can feel odd if your goal was a clean break. If you want everything quiet, turn off Messenger access during the prompts or sign out of Messenger after you deactivate.

What Friends Can Still See

Deactivation hides your profile, but it doesn’t erase every trace you left. Friends may still see old messages in their inbox, and group threads can keep your past words. If you tagged someone in a photo they posted, that photo stays on their account. If your name shows as a blank label on older comments, that’s normal. The goal is a paused profile, not a wipe.

Common Snags And Clean Fixes

Deactivation fails for a few predictable reasons: you’re not in the right profile, you’re stuck in a business tool view, or a linked account flow is taking over. The fixes below get you unstuck without hunting through random menus.

You can’t find Accounts Center

On mobile, scroll in Settings until you see Accounts Center. On desktop, it can sit in the left menu. If you still don’t see it, update the app, then sign out and sign back in. A stale session can hide newer settings panels.

You manage a Page or ad account

If you’re the only admin for a Page, set a second admin before you deactivate. Otherwise, you may lock yourself out of tools that your business needs. Same idea for ad accounts tied to your login: add a backup person with the right role first.

Facebook Login breaks your other apps

Any app or website using “Continue with Facebook” may stop letting you in. Before you deactivate, switch those accounts to email-and-password login or add another login method. This is the one snag that can spill into your day fast.

You deactivated the wrong profile

If you have multiple profiles, Meta will ask you which one you’re changing. Slow down on that screen. Check the name and profile picture carefully before you confirm.

How To Reactivate And What Reappears

Reactivation is simple: log back into Facebook on the web or in the app. Your profile, posts, and connections return as they were, with the same privacy settings you had before you paused.

Some services can take a bit to sync back up, like connected apps or device notifications. If something looks off after you return, log out, clear the app cache, then log back in.

Privacy And Data Controls To Set Before You Go

If your break is about reducing data sharing, take a minute to tighten a few controls first. Deactivation hides your profile, but it doesn’t rewrite every setting tied to the account.

Review account ownership controls in Accounts Center

Meta keeps the main account controls in Accounts Center across Facebook and Instagram. The Meta help page on Accounts Center explains how linked accounts and ownership settings work.

Turn off off-Facebook activity if you want less tracking

Inside Accounts Center, you can review and clear activity that apps and websites share back to Meta. Clearing it won’t delete your account, but it can cut down on ad targeting tied to those sources.

Deactivation Checklist You Can Run In Ten Minutes

This is the tight version you can use right before you hit deactivate. It keeps you from locking yourself out of apps, Pages, or two-factor codes.

Task	Why It Matters	Fast Way To Do It
Add a backup login	Prevents lockouts after time away	Add a second email or phone number in Settings
Save two-factor recovery codes	Helps if you lose your phone	Grab codes from Security settings and store offline
Switch apps off Facebook Login	Keeps other accounts usable	Add email login inside each app before pausing
Hand off Page admin roles	Stops business tool lockouts	Add a second admin to each Page
Decide on Messenger access	Controls whether messages keep flowing	Choose Messenger on/off during deactivation prompts
Download your information	Keeps a personal archive	Use Accounts Center download tool
Tell close contacts	Reduces “are you okay?” messages	Send a quick note with your preferred contact method

When Deactivation Is Not The Best Pick

Sometimes you want a smaller move than deactivation. If your main issue is feed noise, you can stay logged in and tune what you see. Snooze people for 30 days, mute Pages, or trim notification settings. You get quiet without touching account status.

If you want a full exit, deletion is the stronger choice, and Meta routes it through the same Deactivation or deletion screen. Read the prompts slowly, because deletion can trigger a waiting window and can affect linked accounts.

One Last Pass Before You Tap Confirm

Read the confirmation screen and check the account name once more. Then proceed. After that, close the app and give it a minute to refresh.

And if you came here searching how to deactivate facebook because you just needed room to breathe, you’re done. Your profile should be paused, and you can return on your own terms. No drama. No extra steps.