Since launching from a Harvard dorm room in 2004, Facebook has ballooned into one of Earth‘s most influential companies. Boasting over 2.8 billion monthly active users, it has fundamentally shaped modern life, culture and communication norms.
But concerns around screen addiction, privacy and mental health have also grown in parallel to the social network. Public trust has eroded following multiple data and political scandals. For some, it may be time to finally log off Facebook for good by permanently deleting their account.
Brief History of Facebook
Let‘s quickly recap key milestones in Facebook‘s origins:
- 2004 – Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook (then called TheFacebook) from his Harvard dorm as a student directory.
- 2006 – Facebook opens registration to everyone, not just students.
- 2008 – 100 million active users milestone reached.
- 2012 – IPO values Facebook at $104 billion; 1 billion monthly active users.
- 2017 – Facebook surpasses 2 billion monthly users.
- 2021 – Facebook rebrands to Meta amidst controversies.
Since those early dorm room days, Facebook has completely rewired human social norms and behavior, for better or worse. But the tide may be turning…
By the Numbers: Facebook Usage Statistics
- 2.96 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide
- ~2.80 billion daily active Facebook users
- 93%+ of users access via mobile devices
- In 2022, over 600,000 users per day deleted their Facebook
- Facebook collects 98 data points daily on average users
Granted 2.8 billion users still enjoy scrolling Facebook daily. But data shows a growing proportion are deleting their accounts due to privacy or addiction concerns.
Top Reasons People Choose to Delete Facebook
Common motivations for quitting Facebook permanently include:
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Privacy violations – 87 million users had personal data improperly accessed in the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal alone, destroying public trust. Many no longer feel comfortable allowing Facebook to store troves of private data, instead choosing to delete their accounts entirely.
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Too addictive/distracting – The average user spends 38 minutes daily on Facebook consuming endless content and commenting. Heavy usage has been linked to negative mental health impacts including anxiety, depression and loneliness.
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Disagree with company ethics – From the mishandling of hate speech and election interference to biased algorithms and anti-competitive behavior, some choose to leave Facebook based on objections to the company‘s overall ethics and impact on society.
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Lack of usage – If you rarely even log in or scroll Facebook these days, deleting your old lingering account can provide a sense of closure.
While saying goodbye to Facebook can be difficult consider…
Key Advantages to Leaving Facebook
Some found deleting their Facebook accounts improved:
- Overall wellbeing and happiness
- Ability to focus and be present
- Privacy and control of personal data
- Real-world relationships and connections
- Feelings of freedom after breaking an addiction
Of course, Facebook still offers benefits like staying in touch with friends and family who actively use it. There are also less drastic alternatives to fully deleting. But if you feel the downsides now outweigh the upsides of maintaining that perfectly curated profile, read on to permanently delete.
Step-by-Step: How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account
You have two options to permanently delete your Facebook account – via desktop web browser or mobile app. Let‘s explore both options in detail…
Deleting Facebook Account via Desktop
To initiate the Facebook account deletion process on desktop, follow these exact steps:
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On your Mac, PC or laptop, login to Facebook in any standard web browser like Chrome or Firefox.
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Click the down arrow icon in top right and select Settings & Privacy:
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Next choose Your Facebook Information in left sidebar menu.
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Scroll down and select Deactivation and Deletion.
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Choose Delete Account option.
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On pop-up prompt, click blue Continue to Account Deletion button to proceed.
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Re-enter your account password to confirm your identity.
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Finally select Delete Account on last pop-up window. This permanently deletes your Facebook account!
You‘ll immediately be logged out of Facebook. However, full deletion of all your account data and content can take up to 90 days to finalize on the back end.
Also keep in mind that logging back in within 30 days cancels deletion. So resist the urge for just one month!
Deleting Facebook via Mobile App
Prefer to delete your Facebook account via iPhone, Android or tablet app? Here are simplified steps:
On iOS devices:
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Open the Facebook app and tap the hamburger menu (3 lines) in lower right.
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Scroll down to Settings & privacy > Settings.
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Choose Personal and Account Information > Account Ownership and Control
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Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
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Select Delete Account then Continue to Account Deletion.
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Confirm password and tap Delete Account to finalize.
On Android devices:
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Tap the 3 line hamburger menu in top right of Facebook app.
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Scroll to Settings & privacy > Settings
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Choose Account Ownership and Control > Deactivation and Deletion
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Select Delete Account and Continue to Account Deletion.
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Enter password then tap Delete Account to complete deletion!
And that‘s it! Just follow the relevant smartphone instructions above to remove Facebook from your mobile life permanently.
Troubleshooting Facebook Account Deletion
Having issues deleting your Facebook account? Try these troubleshooting tips:
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Temporarily disable VPN or ad-blocking software which can sometimes interrupt the account deletion process.
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Switch browsers or clear cookies/cache then attempt accessing the deletion options again.
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Delete any stored browser passwords for Facebook then retype from scratch when prompted.
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If on mobile, force quit and restart the Facebook app between deletion steps.
Stuck deleting your account? Leave a comment below and I‘d be glad to provide any advice!
What Happens After You Delete Facebook?
Wondering what happens behind the scenes after you permanently delete your Facebook account?
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Immediately: Your profile, posts, photos and all account content is hidden from public view. Friends can no longer search for or access your deactivated profile.
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Within 30 days: Continued access to your temporarily deactivate account. If you log back in even once during this period, deletion is cancelled and account restored.
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1 to 90 Days Later: Facebook engineering team manually begins process of scrubbing all data associated with your account from production databases. Backups may still remain.
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Post Deletion: Your specific Facebook user ID and username are permanently retired and can never be registered again by a new account. No user will be able to claim that custom web address.
In summary, while some data remnants may linger in deep storage, from a user perspective, your Facebook presence will vanish within 30 days barring any login slip ups.
What Facebook Keeps Post Deletion
According to its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Facebook does reserve the legal right to retain some elements of your account data indefinitely:
- Data shared with 3rd party apps
- Anonymized analytics data
- Records required to uphold legal obligations
- Archival backups
So expect some form of digital trace to live on internally. However from a user-facing perspective, deleting Facebook means your profile, posts, photos and identity get permanently scrubbed.
Alternatives to Completely Deleting Facebook
If the complete loss of your decade-old nostalgic Facebook presence seems too traumatic, consider these temporary alternatives:
- Deactivate account – Hide your profile for up to 14 days before it gets reactivated
- Increase privacy settings – Limit old posts visibility, restrict messaging, hide friends list
- Take a break – Quit Facebook for set durations like 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, or 1 year
- Unfollow friends – Keep your account minus annoying friends filling your feed
- Unlike Pages – Prune favorite brands, celebs and publishers posting too frequently
- Mute conversations – Disable notifications from overly talkative threads
Tinkering with the above options allows assessing if deleting Facebook more permanently makes sense long term. Baby steps!
Fascinating Facebook Statistics
Before deciding whether to preserve or delete your blue and white-themed cyber presence for eternity, chew on these Facebook fun facts:
- 93% of Facebook‘s daily active users access via mobile devices. It‘s an app-first world.
- The average user has 155 friends but regularly interacts with just 7 to 10 of those connections. Do you really need to stick around for that random roommate from freshman year?
- Users spend almost an hour daily across Facebook‘s family of apps including WhatsApp and Instagram. That‘s 15 full days per year scrolling!
- Facebook‘s like button gets tapped 6 billion times daily around the globe. Imagine how many thumb tendons have been inflamed over the years from all that tapping!
- Facebook has over 52,000 employees and adds 7,000 more each year. Gotta keep Growing That AudienceTM! 😜
Think you can walk away from the biggest social party on planet Earth? Read on…
Most Frequently Asked Account Deletion Questions
Before pulling the plug for good, check out answers to these commonly asked questions about about why, how and what happens when permanently deleting your Facebook account:
What will my friends see if I delete Facebook?
No one will be able to search for or view your Facebook profile again once deleted. You essentially disappear from the social network!
Can someone else take my old username?
No, once an account is deleted that custom username or handle cannot ever be registered again by another user. It‘s retired forever.
What happens to my Facebook Messenger app?
Your Messenger messages, contacts and associated account details will also get deleted automatically when your Facebook account is permanently removed. Make sure to export any chat history you want to keep!
How long does it take to delete my data?
Immediate account deactivation starts instantly upon deletion. However it takes up to 90 full days for all photos, posts, timeline details to get fully scrubbed from Facebook‘s internal storage systems.
Can I download my Facebook data first?
Yes! Under "Your Facebook Information settings you have the option to download your entire account archive. This lets you save photos, posts and memories before deleting.
What if I change my mind?
No worries! You have 30 days after initiating deletion the cancel and reactive your account by simply logging back in. Just make sure not to accidentally log in afterward.
Still have questions before taking the Facebook deletion plunge? Leave a comment below!
At the end of the day, deciding whether to preserve or permanently delete your Facebook account requires some soul searching:
- Do the positives I gain from using Facebook still outweigh the negatives factors?
- Am I comfortable with how Facebook secures and leverages my private information?
- Could removing Facebook reduce stress and improve my quality of life?
- Will I miss out by completely cutting ties with the platform?
Carefully reflect on your personal relationship with Facebook given the new knowledge this guide has equipped you with. Listen to your gut instinct.
If you decide the time has come to cut the cord, use the step-by-step instructions above to seamlessly delete Facebook from your life permanently. While difficult at first, many find the clarity and simplicity on the other side enormously freeing.
Wishing you happiness and healthy relationships, whether on or off the virtual stage!
