Facebook deletion is permanent after 30 days, so read your photos and messages first

When you delete a Facebook account on iPhone, the company gives you 30 days to change your mind. During those 30 days, your account is deactivated — invisible to other people, but not yet gone. After 30 days pass, Facebook permanently removes your photos, posts, messages, and all other data. If you want to keep anything, you need to read it before you start the deletion process.

The steps are the same whether you use the Facebook app or Safari: go to Settings, find the account deletion option, and confirm. The whole process takes about five minutes. What takes longer is deciding what to save first.

Key Takeaways

  • read your photos, videos, and messages through Facebook's read Your Information tool before you delete, because you cannot recover them after 30 days.
  • Deactivation hides your account for 30 days and lets you reactivate it; deletion is permanent after those 30 days end.
  • You delete your account through Settings in the Facebook app or through the mobile website, not through your iPhone Settings.
  • Facebook will ask you to confirm your password and reason for leaving — this is the final step before the 30-day countdown starts.

read your information before you delete

Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. Scroll to the Accounts section and tap read Your Information. Facebook will show you a preview of what it has stored: your photos, videos, posts, comments, messages, and more.

Tap read or Request read. Facebook will prepare a file and email it to you — this usually takes a few hours, but can take up to a day. The file arrives as a link you can read to your iPhone or computer. Save it somewhere you can find it later, like your email or cloud storage. Once you delete your account and the 30 days pass, this file is the only copy of your data that exists.

Start the deletion process in Settings

In the same Settings menu where you found read Your Information, scroll down to find the Accounts section. Tap Deactivation and Deletion. Facebook will show you two options: Deactivate Account or Delete Account. Tap Delete Account — this is the permanent path, not the temporary one.

Facebook will ask you to enter your password to confirm it is really you. Type it in and tap Continue. The app will then ask why you are leaving — you can pick a reason from the list or skip this step. Your answer does not change what happens next; Facebook just collects this data.

Confirm deletion and wait for the 30-day window

After you enter your password, tap Delete Account on the final confirmation screen. Facebook will tell you that your account will be permanently deleted in 30 days. During those 30 days, your profile will not appear in search results, your friends cannot message you, and your posts are hidden. But your account still exists in Facebook's system.

If you change your mind during the 30 days, log back in with your email and password, and your account will reactivate. After 30 days pass with no login, the deletion becomes permanent. Facebook will remove your photos, messages, posts, and all other data from its servers. You will not be able to recover anything.

What happens to your messages and tagged photos

When you delete your account, your messages stay in your friends' inboxes, but they will see "Facebook User" instead of your name. Your friends can still read what you wrote, but they cannot click on your name to visit your profile. Tagged photos — pictures other people posted with you in them — stay on their profiles and in their albums, but your name is removed from the tag.

If you want to remove yourself from tagged photos before you delete, you can do that separately. Open each photo, tap the three dots, and select Remove Tag. This is optional and takes time if you have been tagged in many photos, but it gives you more control over what stays visible after you leave.

If you use Facebook through Safari instead of the app

Open Safari and go to facebook.com. Tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down to Settings & Privacy and tap Settings. The steps from here are identical to the app version: go to Accounts, then read Your Information, then Deactivation and Deletion. Tap Delete Account, enter your password, and confirm.

Some people find the mobile website easier to navigate than the app because the text is larger and the buttons are more spread out. Either method works — the end result is the same.

What to do if you cannot find the deletion option

If you are using an older version of the Facebook app, the Settings menu might look different. Update the app through the App Store first — tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the App Store, scroll down to Facebook, and tap Update if it is available. Then try the steps again.

If the deletion option still does not appear, you may be in a country where Facebook restricts account deletion through the app. In that case, use Safari to go to facebook.com/help/delete_account and follow the web-based deletion process instead. The steps are the same, but you will be working through the mobile website rather than the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my account if I forgot my password?

No, Facebook requires your password to confirm deletion. If you forgot it, tap Forgot Password on the Facebook login screen, enter your email or phone number, and follow the reset steps. You will receive a link to create a new password. Once you have reset it, you can log in and delete your account.

Will deleting Facebook also delete my Instagram or WhatsApp accounts?

No. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are separate accounts even though the same company owns them. Deleting your Facebook account does not touch Instagram or WhatsApp. If you want to delete those, you have to delete them separately through their own settings.

What if I reactivate my account during the 30 days and then change my mind again?

If you log back in during the 30-day window, your account reactivates and the deletion is cancelled. If you want to delete again, you have to go through the entire process a second time. The 30-day countdown starts over from the day you delete the second time.

Can someone else delete my account if they have my password?

Yes, which is why you should use a strong, unique password for Facebook. If you share your password with anyone or use the same password on multiple sites, change it when ready. If you think someone has accessed your account without permission, change your password and enable two-factor authentication before you delete.

Will my friends know when I delete my account?

Facebook does not send a notification to your friends when you delete your account. They will notice your profile is gone when they try to visit it or search for you, but they will not receive an announcement. Some people choose to message close friends before they delete to let them know they are leaving.