Latch

How to delete your Facebook and Instagram accounts (and what to save first)

By Sudarshan Neupane, founder of Lukla Logic · · 4 minute read

A woman typing on a laptop at a table, seen from above

To delete Facebook or Instagram, first download your information, then go to Accounts Center, Personal details, Account ownership and control, and choose Deactivation or deletion. Meta keeps the account for 30 days in case you change your mind, and after that it's permanently deleted.

Before you start

A common story: someone sets aside ten minutes to delete their Meta accounts and spends an hour going in circles through settings pages and error messages. Others can't delete an old account because they can't log in to it anymore. Knowing the order of steps up front saves most of that time.

The steps below follow Meta's Help Center as of October 2026. Meta moves menus around, and its own pages call the same settings area Accounts Center in some places and Meta Account in others, so if a label doesn't match, look for the closest one or open the linked help page.

  1. 1DownloadExport your photos, posts and messages.
  2. 2DecideDeactivate to pause, delete to leave for good.
  3. 3DeleteAccounts Center, Deactivation or deletion.
  4. 4Wait 30 daysLog in during this time and it can be cancelled.

Step 1: Download your information first

Once an account is deleted, you can't get anything back from it, so save what you want first. Meta's steps on Facebook (Facebook Help):

  1. Click your profile picture, then Settings & privacy, then Settings.
  2. Click Meta Account (shown as Accounts Center in some versions), then Your information and permissions.
  3. Click Export your information, then Create export.
  4. Choose the profile to export, then Export to device.
  5. Pick what to include, the date range, the format and media quality, then Start export.

HTML opens in a browser and is easiest to look through. JSON is meant for moving your data to another service. Meta sends an email and a notification when the file is ready, and you then have 4 days to download it. Instagram's export lives in the same Accounts Center area, and Instagram warns that you lose access to its data download tool once the account is deleted (Instagram Help).

Step 2: Decide between deactivating and deleting

Deactivating is temporary. Nobody can see your profile, your photos and posts are kept, and you can come back whenever you log in again. Messenger can stay active while Facebook is deactivated, so you can keep chatting (Facebook Help).

Deleting is permanent. After the waiting period, you can't reactivate the account and your content is removed (Facebook Help). If you're not sure, deactivate for a month first. People who deactivated Facebook for four weeks in one study used it less even after they came back (Allcott et al., 2020), and we wrote about what else changed in what happened when people quit Facebook for a month.

Step 3: How to delete your Facebook account

Meta's steps for permanently deleting Facebook (Facebook Help):

  1. Click your profile picture at the top right, then Settings and privacy, then Settings.
  2. Select Meta Account (or Accounts Center) at the top left.
  3. Select Personal details, then Account ownership and control. (If you see Manage account instead, select it, then Manage.)
  4. Select Deactivation or deletion.
  5. Choose the profile, choose to delete, select Continue and follow the prompts to confirm.

If you manage a Facebook Page that only you control, give someone else full control first if you want it to survive.

Step 4: How to delete your Instagram account

Instagram uses the same Accounts Center (Instagram Help):

  1. Go to your profile and open the menu.
  2. Tap Accounts Center, then Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
  3. Tap Deactivation or deletion, choose the account, and choose to delete it.

Instagram's help page notes that on Android you may need to do this from instagram.com in a browser. Instagram can't delete an account for you, so you need to be able to log in.

What happens during the 30 days

For Facebook, Meta says that if fewer than 30 days have passed since you asked, you can log in and select Cancel deletion. After that, the account and your information are permanently deleted (Facebook Help). For Instagram, your account is hidden from other people during the 30 days and then permanently removed (Instagram Help). If you want the deletion to go through, avoid logging in during that time unless you mean to cancel.

Can't log in to the account you want to delete?

You have to get back into an account before you can delete it. Meta's recovery page for Facebook starts at facebook.com/login/identify, where you enter an email, phone number or username linked to the account, ideally on a device you've logged in from before (Facebook Help). If you no longer have that email or phone, look for the option saying you no longer have access to them. For Instagram, use the password reset option on the login screen and follow Instagram's recovery steps.

After you delete

Remove the apps from your phone and sign out of them in your browser. If the urge to check something else takes over, that's common, and our guide on why quitting one app makes you scroll another covers what to do about it.

Common questions

How do I permanently delete my Facebook account?

Download your information first. Then click your profile picture, go to Settings and privacy, Settings, Meta Account or Accounts Center, Personal details, Account ownership and control, and Deactivation or deletion. Choose to delete and confirm. After 30 days the account is permanently deleted.

What's the difference between deactivating and deleting Facebook?

Deactivating is temporary: your profile is hidden, your content is kept, and you can come back by logging in. Messenger can stay active. Deleting is permanent once the 30-day window passes, and your content is removed.

Can I cancel deleting my Facebook account?

Yes, within 30 days. Meta says you can log in and select Cancel deletion. After 30 days the account and your information are permanently deleted.

How do I delete Instagram on Android?

Instagram's help page says Android users may need to delete from instagram.com in a browser. Go to Accounts Center, Personal details, Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.

How do I delete an old Facebook account I can't log in to?

You need to recover it first. Go to facebook.com/login/identify, preferably on a device you've used with the account before, and enter an email, phone number or username linked to it. Once you're back in, delete it through Accounts Center.

Where Latch fits

Latch is an app blocker that only unlocks when you scan a key you keep somewhere else: an NFC sticker, a printed QR code, or a number of steps. It's free to start, out now on the App Store and Google Play.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google PlayTake the two-minute habit check

Sources

Photo: public domain (CC0).