Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms. It has been around longer than most social networking sites and has significantly more users than most platforms out there. However, it is said to be losing popularity every day. It seems to be going down the MySpace lane. If you are trying to figure out how to delete a Facebook account, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.
Why Do You Want to Delete Your Facebook?
The first thing to think about before you decide to figure out how to delete your Facebook account is why you want to delete it in the first place. Is it because you are upset and want someone to talk to or notice you? If so, then change your status, add a life “event”, or upload a new picture. Are you being harassed by someone on Facebook? If this is the case, then there are measures you can take, such as blocking the person or people and reporting the issue to Facebook. This does not make you a whistleblower or tattletale. Rather it is the right thing to do when there is a situation of cyberbullying.
On the other hand, if you are simply bored with Facebook and want to be done with the site, then it is helpful to know how to permanently delete your Facebook account. However, in most cases, people do not want to delete it for this reason. They are often upset about the way something is happening, mostly due to cyberstalking. Understanding why you want to figure out how to permanently delete Facebook is the first step to knowing the right method to take.
The Difference Between Deactivating and Deleting Your Account
There are two options when you don’t want your information to be visible on Facebook. One is to deactivate, and the other is to delete the account. These are very different, and you should understand the difference between the two. When you deactivate your account, you disable it so that no one can see your page or interact with it. Your page will no longer be searchable. However, all your information, including posts, friends and pictures, will be saved. Then you can choose when you want to reactivate your account and everything will go back to the way it was before.
On the other hand, when you delete your account, your account will disappear completely. You cannot regain access to the account, even if you think you have made a mistake. This is why it is important to understand which option is best for your needs. If you need a break from social media for a little bit, it may be easier to simply deactivate your account than simply delete it altogether.
What Happens to My Information When I Delete My Facebook?
Another aspect to think about when you are trying to figure out how to delete your Facebook account is what happens to your information. First, you will no longer have access to your information. Even though no one can interact with your page, it does not mean that your information, such as posts, comments and pictures is gone. It can actually take up to 90 days for this to be deleted from the backup servers.
It is also important to keep in mind that private messages you have with others will remain online as long as the person has this account or does not delete the message. This is because the conversation is still tied to their account and is able to be viewed. It is also important to note that your information is saved indefinitely on the main servers for Facebook as log records. When the account is deleted, they are no longer associated with any personal identifiers, but the information is still there.
How to Deactivate Facebook
To deactivate your Facebook account, simply click the settings button in the top left hand of the screen. From there, you will click on settings. At the bottom of this page, you will see a blue link that says deactivate your account. Just click this link and follow the steps and you will be able to deactivate your account for as long as you want to.
How to Delete Your Facebook
The truth is, it is easier than you think. All you need to do is click on the triangle button at the top right-hand section of the page. From there click on ‘Help’. A menu will come up and you can input your search criteria into this box. Simply type in delete the account and click the link for ‘How do I permanently delete my account?’ This will have a description of what happens, and at the end of these few paragraphs, there is a link that will allow you to delete your account.
Keep in mind that this is a fairly easy task to complete, but that does not mean it should be taken lightly. Before you delete your account, you may want to download a copy of your Facebook data, which is available right in the description for deleting your account. This allows you to keep all of the information and pictures that you have collected during your time on the site.
If you decide that you have made a mistake after deleting your account, do not lose heart- you can still regain access to your account. Facebook provides a couple of days window where people can regain access to their accounts. It allows you to simply by log back in and cancel the deletion request for your account. This is to ensure that you truly want to leave Facebook. However, if you do not log into your account within this time frame, you cannot regain access to your account.
Tweaking Your Privacy Settings- An Alternative to Deleting Facebook
Another alternative that may be helpful to you is to tweak your Facebook settings. This can keep you from dealing with unwanted communication or other issues that may arise. While this may seem complicated, it is actually a lot easier than you may think. If you click on the icon that looks like a padlock in the top right of the page, you will see a shortcut to your security settings. This will allow you to change who can see your posts, who can search for your account, who can send you messages and much more. You can even control whether your page is searchable from search engines or not.
If you want to make the process even easier, you can click on the first icon in the security tab which offers a security checkup. It is easy to spot with a cute dinosaur to guide you through the process. This is designed to help ensure that you are covered in the basics. This is a quick edit for the security settings on your profile, posts and apps.
Blocking People on Facebook- Yet Another Alternative to Deleting Your Account
Even if you adjust your security settings, there can still be times when someone gets in touch with you that you may not want to communicate with. It could be because you have a negative history with the person or they could be bullying or harassing you. Either way, the best thing you can do is to block the person. This can be done on people who are your friends as well as those who are not. To do this, simply click on the person’s profile. The far right icon on the cover photo will have ‘…’ and you click on this, then click on ‘block’. You must then click to confirm or cancel.
Blocking a person on Facebook will keep them from seeing any of your posts or comments. They will also be unable to message or post comments to you. If this person is a friend, then this action will also unfriend the person.
Facebook is a great platform for bringing people together. While there is a lot of fun and community that can be found there, if you find that you are not experiencing this, then there are actions you can take. Deleting your Facebook account is a viable option, but it shouldn’t be your first reaction to something going wrong on the site.