There are times when the stress of Facebook takes a toll in our lives. Maybe it’s the overloaded drama, word war between friends, or offending posts that made us sick of being a part of it. We could also be concerned with security due to some crazy stalkers or lurkers.
But most of the time, we find it hard to let go of our Facebook account that we just choose to deactivate for a while. Puzzled why instead of the usual profile picture, your friend has been replaced by a default icon? He or she probably deactivated his or her account.
So what really happens when you deactivate your account? People can’t see your Facebook timeline and they would not be able to search for you. However, you can still reactivate your account anytime you like by simply logging in again.
The messages you sent would still be visible and Facebook saves your account information for when you come back. You could choose to deactivate both your Facebook Messenger and account, or opt to still use your Facebook Messenger to communicate with your friends.
But what if you want to commit social media suicide and have your account deleted permanently?
It would take 90 days before your entire data be deleted from Facebook’s server and backup systems. However, the copies of messages you sent your friends would still be seen by them. Log records may remain in Facebook’s database but would be disassociated from personal identifiers.
READ: How To Know who Unfriended and Unfollowed you on Facebook
Want to cool off from Facebook for a while and live your life outside of social media?
Simply follow the following steps:
- Click the Account Menu or go to https://www.facebook.com/settings
- Choose the ‘Security’ option.
- Click Deactivate You Account, and follow the other steps to confirm. You may have to re-enter your password to confirm. You would also be given an option to automatically reactivate your account after some days.
To reactivate your account, simply log into Facebook again.
If you are upright in your decision to permanently leave the social media world we call Facebook, it is time to delete your Facebook account. Click the link below to start the process.
https://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account
You would be asked to input your password and a captcha. Afterwards, your account would be deactivated and will be permanently deleted within 14 days. Suddenly changed your mind? No worries, if you login within the next 14 days, you would still have the option to cancel your request.
Keep in mind that this is a permanent deletion and all your Facebook memories, pictures, posts and everything that you and your ‘friends’ shared throughout your social media life would be gone.
If you are feeling a bit sentimental, you could download a copy of your Facebook Data. It can be found at the bottom of your General Account Settings.
Deactivate or Delete Account? Whatever your decision is, you should think it over carefully. Aside from connecting to people and getting updated about their lives, Facebook has also been a place of memories, fun and sad times.
