How do I temporarily deactivate my Facebook account?
Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
You can deactivate your account temporarily and choose to come back whenever you want.
To deactivate your account:
New Facebook
- Click
in the top right.
- Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
- Click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
- Click Deactivation and Deletion.
- Choose Deactivate Account, then click Continue to Account Deactivation and follow the instructions to confirm.
Classic Facebook
- Click
at the top right of any Facebook page.
- Click Settings, then click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
- Click Deactivation and Deletion.
- Choose Deactivate Account, then click Continue to Account Deactivation and follow the instructions to confirm.
When your account is deactivated:
- No one else can see your profile.
- Some information, like messages you sent to friends, may still be visible.
- Your friends may still see your name in their friends list. This is only visible to your friends, and only from their friends list.
- Group admins may still be able to see your posts and comments, along with your name.
Keep in mind that if you choose to keep Messenger active or are logged into Messenger when you deactivate your Facebook account, then Messenger will remain active. Learn how to deactivate Messenger.
When your Facebook account is deactivated, but you still have Messenger:
- You can still chat with friends on Messenger.
- Your Facebook profile picture will still be visible in your conversations on Messenger.
- Other people can search for you to send you a message.
Reactivating your account:
If you’d like to come back to Facebook after you’ve deactivated your account, you can reactivate your account at any time by logging back into Facebook or by using your Facebook account to log in somewhere else. Remember, you'll need to have access to the email or mobile number you use to log into complete the reactivation.
Learn how to permanently delete your account.
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