Perhaps you have realized there’s more to life than sitting in front of a screen and taking care of an online persona. Maybe you’ve finally understood that the arousing, positive emotions you experience for posting a status or sharing a news story are only fleeting and superficial. The initial thrill of digital communication has somehow lost its luster, and you finally want to ditch your Facebook profile for good. Here’s how you can do it.
Preparations and Precautions
Getting rid of your Facebook account is permanent, so you might want to think carefully before doing it. If you regret deleting your account and want it back, you have no choice but to start over and create a new one. Also consider the consequences of deleting a Facebook account. For instance, you’ll be cut off from many online services, games and apps that are only accessible by signing in via your Facebook credentials. Will your friends and family still be able to contact you? Inform them about your departure from the social network, and give them other ways to keep in touch with you.
Have you thought about temporary account deactivation? Think of it as trial separation from your love-hate relationship with Facebook. Account deactivation almost functions like account deletion, in that it stops other people from searching for and seeing your profile. The good thing about deactivation is that you can always reactivate your account should you wish to come back.
If you’re still serious about deleting your Facebook account despite the aforementioned alternatives, download a copy of your account data. This includes your profile information, social interactions, status messages and uploaded photos and videos. The retrieved data might come in handy someday when, for instance, you want to move to Google+ or another social network and create a new profile there. To download your Facebook data, go to the General Account Settings page, and click Download A Copy.
How to Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently
Log in to Facebook. Go to the Delete My Account page, and press the Delete My Account button. In the dialog box, enter your password and perform the security check. Click OK.
If successful, you should receive a message informing you of your account’s deactivation and scheduled permanent deletion in two weeks. You are given this grace period to log back in and cancel the deletion request if you change your mind. Avoid logging in to websites that use your Facebook credentials, because doing so reinstates your account.
At this point, it’s over. Your account is as good as gone (although your data may remain in backup systems up to three months). You can finally begin a new chapter of your life; one without the hassles of Facebook.
