How to delete your Facebook account

Some people are leaving Facebook behind. Recent reports say that Gen Z and Millennial users are quitting the platform because they prefer others like Instagram and TikTok, which have become more relevant in the last few years. According to an Insider Intelligence investigation, the platform developed by Mark Zuckerberg is expected to lose more users, In 2026, it expects about 28% of Facebook users in the U.S. to be between 18 and 34 years old. This suggests that many will simply stop using Facebook, while others will delete their accounts to leave for good.

Deleting a Facebook account is not very difficult, compared to other platforms. For example, X (formerly known as Twitter) has removed the option for deleting accounts and only lets users deactivate it —although later it might delete it because of lack of activity. On Facebook, there are two options: deactivate account or delete account. The first one will shut off the Facebook main profile, and users won’t be able to see their name on the things they’ve shared, or their photos. Messenger will still be activated and they can use it freely, and users can reactivate their account at any moment and nothing will be lost. By deleting the account, users won’t be able to retrieve the content or information that had been shared from that profile, including texts from Messenger, which also will be deleted.

If you are one of the users who want to leave the platform, here are the steps to take in order to delete your Facebook account.

From the Facebook website

If you’re using Facebook from your computer, you need to follow these steps:

1. Open Facebook from your browser.
2. Click on your profile picture located in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Click on Settings & Privacy and select Settings. This will take you to another screen.
4. On the menu on the left, click on Meta’s Accounts Center. This will take you to the center where you can see all your accounts.
5. On the left, click on Personal Details.
6. Click on Account ownership and control.
7. Click on Deactivation or deletion.
8. Select the account you want to delete.
9. Select Delete account and click on Continue.

From the Facebook App (iPhone and Android)

Users can follow the exact same steps on iPhone and Android.

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap on the Menu in the bottom-right corner (it has your profile picture).
3. Scroll until you find Settings & Privacy and tap.
4. Select Settings.
5. Tap on Meta’s Accounts Center.
6. Tap on Personal details.
7. Tap on Account ownership and control.
8. Tap on Deactivation or deletion.
9. Select the account you want to delete.
10. Choose Delete account and tap on Continue.

If, for any reason, a user wants to delete their Instagram account, they can follow the exact same steps if they have a Facebook account. From the Meta Accounts Center, users can control every account they have linked in any of Meta’s platforms.

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