How to Temporarily Disable a Facebook Account on the App or Website

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Learn how to temporarily disable your Facebook account on mobile or desktop

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: October 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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Getting Started

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Mobile (Accounts Center)

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Mobile (Facebook Settings)

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Desktop (Accounts Center)

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Desktop (Facebook Settings)

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Tips

Want to take a break from Facebook? Deactivating your account temporarily deletes your profile, posts, and videos for as long as you need. You can reactivate your Facebook account at any time just by signing back in with your username and password. Read on to learn how to temporarily disable your Facebook account using a computer, phone, or tablet.

Deactivating Your Facebook: Quick Overview

If you can access the new Accounts Center, you can deactivate your Facebook account on mobile or desktop by selecting Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. If you don't have the new Accounts Center, you can deactivate your Facebook account via your settings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Getting Started

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1
Check your settings to see which deactivation method to use. The instructions for deactivating your Facebook account vary depending on where the Accounts Center is in your settings.^{[1]
X
Research source} Follow these steps to see which method to use:
- Tap the ☰ menu button on mobile (in the upper-right for Android and bottom-right for iPhone/iPad) or your profile picture in the upper-right on PC and Mac.
- Select Settings & Privacy.
  - On desktop, click the Settings option inside the Settings & Privacy menu.
- Look for the Accounts Center. The location of the Accounts Center dictates which deactivation method you can use:
  - If Accounts Center is at the top (top-left on desktop) of your settings, you can deactivate your account via the Accounts Center.
  - If Accounts Center is at the bottom (bottom-left on desktop) of your settings, you can deactivate your account via your Facebook settings.
- Follow the method in this article that matches your platform (mobile or desktop) and deactivation method (Accounts Center or Facebook Settings).

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Deactivating on Mobile (Accounts Center)

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If you exited your Facebook settings after completing the Getting Started section of this article, you can get back to this point by going to Facebook's main page and tapping ☰ > Settings & Privacy.
This option is under the "Account settings" heading and has an icon that looks like a badge with a person on it.
It's the last option in the "Personal details" settings menu.
It's the second option.
5
Select the account you want to deactivate. If you have an account with another Meta product (like Instagram), you'll see those accounts here, too.
- You may not see this screen if you don't have multiple Meta accounts. Continue to the next step if so.
6
Select Deactivate account. This is the option that will preserve your account name and data in case you want to reactivate again in the future. Tap Continue to progress to the next step.
- If you'd rather permanently delete your account, you can select Delete account here. This action, unlike deactivating, is permanent.
- Deactivating your Facebook account will not deactivate Facebook Messenger.
This confirms that you are the owner of the account.
This is just for Facebook's own records. If you're coming back later, just select This is temporary, I'll be back.
If you still want to deactivate, scroll down to the bottom and choose when you want Facebook to reactivate your account automatically. If you'd rather reactivate it yourself by signing back in when you want to, choose Don't reactivate automatically from the menu.
10
Tap the blue Deactivate my account button. This deactivates your account and signs you out of Facebook.
- You can re-activate your account by logging back into Facebook the next time you open the app.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Deactivating on Mobile (Facebook Settings)

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If you exited your Facebook settings after completing the Getting Started section of this article, you can get back to this point by going to Facebook's main page and tapping ☰ > Settings & Privacy.
2
Tap Personal and account information. It's near the top of the screen. If you don't see this option, tap Profile Access and Control instead, then skip the next step.
- Facebook is in the process of updating their settings to align with the new Pages experience, so you may or may not see this option.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
3
Tap Account ownership and control. It'll be under "Personal and Account Information."
- If you had to tap Profile Access and Control you can skip this step.
It's the second option.
5
Select Deactivate account. This is the option that will preserve your account name and data in case you want to reactivate again in the future.
- If you'd rather permanently delete your account, you can select Delete account here. This action, unlike deactivating, is permanent.
- Deactivating your Facebook account will not deactivate Facebook Messenger.
It's the blue button at the bottom of the screen.
This confirms that you are the owner of the account.
This is just for Facebook's own records. If you're coming back later, just select This is temporary, I'll be back.
If you still want to deactivate, scroll down to the bottom and choose when you want Facebook to reactivate your account automatically. If you'd rather reactivate it yourself by signing back in when you want to, choose Don't reactivate automatically from the menu.
10
Tap the blue Deactivate my account button. This deactivates your account and signs you out of Facebook.
- You can re-activate your account by logging back into Facebook the next time you open the app.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Deactivating on Desktop (Accounts Center)

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If you exited your Facebook settings after completing the Getting Started section of this article, you can get back to this point by going to Facebook's main page and clicking your profile picture > Settings & privacy > Settings.
This option is under the "Account settings" heading, and has an icon that looks like a badge with a person on it.
It's the last option in the "Personal details" settings menu.
It's the second option.
5
Select the account you want to deactivate. If you have an account with another Meta product (like Instagram), you'll see those accounts here too.
- If you don't have multiple Meta accounts, you may not see this screen. Continue to the next step if so.
6
Select Deactivate account. This is the option that will preserve your account name and data in case you want to reactivate again in the future. Click Continue to progress to the next step.
- If you'd rather permanently delete your account, you can select Delete account here. This action, unlike deactivating, is permanent.
- Deactivating your Facebook account will not deactivate Facebook Messenger.
This confirms that you are the owner of the account.
This is just for Facebook's own records. If you're coming back later, just select This is temporary, I'll be back.
If you still want to deactivate, you can choose when you want Facebook to reactivate your account automatically. If you'd rather reactivate it yourself by signing back in when you want to, choose Don't reactivate automatically from the menu.
10
Click the blue Deactivate my account button. This deactivates your account and signs you out of Facebook.
- You can re-activate your account by logging back into Facebook the next time you open the website.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Deactivating on Desktop (Facebook Settings)

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1
From the Settings menu, click Your Facebook Information. If you exited your Facebook settings after completing the Getting Started section of this article, you can get back to this point by going to Facebook's main page and clicking your profile picture > Settings & privacy > Settings.
- If you don't see this button, instead click Privacy > Your Facebook Information.
- Facebook is in the process of updating their settings to align with the new Pages experience, so you may have the Your Facebook Information button or the Privacy button.^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
It's the second option.
3
Select Deactivate account. This is the option that will preserve your account name and data in case you want to reactivate again in the future. Click Continue to progress to the next step.
- Deactivating your Facebook account will not deactivate Facebook Messenger.
- If you'd rather permanently delete your account, you can select Delete account here. This action, unlike deactivating, is permanent.
This is to confirm your identity.
5
Choose a reason why you're deactivating your account. You have several options here:
- If you want to keep your account deactivated until you decide you want to log back in, choose I don't find Facebook useful or I spend too much time on Facebook. When Facebook tries to get you to make changes to your account instead, click Cancel to continue.
- If you want Facebook to automatically reactivate your account for you in anywhere from 1 to 7 days, you can select This is temporary, I'll be back. Then, choose how many days you want to wait until your account is automatically reactivated. There's no option for manually reactivating if you select this option.
It's at the bottom of the page. A confirmation message will appear.
7
Click Deactivate now. This deactivates your account and signs you out of Facebook.
- When you want to sign back in, you can do so by going to Facebook.com and logging in with your username and password.

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Tips

Deactivating your Facebook account means you won't be able to use your Facebook account for Oculus products.^{[4]
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Research source}

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When you deactivate, all of the information on your profile is saved in case you wish to return.

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If you manage a Facebook Page and don't share administrative rights with another Facebook user, your Page will also be deactivated.

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