how do i completely delete my facebook
How to Completely Delete Facebook From Your Life
Image: Mashable, Isar Change
If you're seriously considering deleting your Facebook account, you're not alone.
Start typing in the letters "dele" into Google and you'll see "delete Facebook account" as a top suggestion. Whether it's to alleviate privacy concerns or avoid digital distractions, more people are trying to figure out how to fully disconnect themselves from the social network giant that we live and breathe.
See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook
For those ready to call it quits, you're in for a surprise — it's more difficult than you think to erase yourself permanently. With its ever-changing privacy policies, becoming Facebook-free requires more steps than just hitting the delete button and saying goodbye.
Keep in mind deletion is not the same as deactivation. You can deactivate your account at any time, which means your Timeline and information will disappear from Facebook until you reactivate your account. When reactivated, your information is restored.
Deleting your account means you can never, ever access your account again, and you won't be able to retrieve any of your content or information.
See also: The Beginner's Guide to Facebook
Most of your personal data, like your email and mailing address, is removed from Facebook, but some information, such as messages and photos, may remain on its server for "technical reasons." Facebook's Help Center also says the data left behind will no longer be identifiable or searchable as your own, and that it will be inaccessible to other people using Facebook.
If you 100% want out, follow the step-by-step guide below to erase your Facebook footprint and make sure your account is gone for good.
1. Back up your Facebook information.
Facebook allows you to download a copy of your data, which includes your posts, photos and more.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Save photos, contact and birthday information and other data you'll need while your account is still running. Once your account is deleted, this information will be inaccessible.
We recommend downloading a copy of your Facebook data, which comes in the form of a ZIP file consisting of all your posts, including photos and videos. Here's how:
Click on the padlock icon at the upper right-hand corner of your Facebook.
Select "See More Settings."
Click “General,” the first option in the menu.
Click “Download a copy of your Facebook data.”
Finish by clicking “Start My Archive.”
Once the ZIP file has downloaded, save it in a safe place on your computer or hard drive.
For more details about where you can find your Facebook data, see the full breakdown here.
To save individual photos, click “Options” at the bottom of the photo and select “Download.”
Under Facebook's Terms of Service, when you delete your photos and videos (also known as IP content) or your account, it is erased in a way similar to emptying the recycle bin on your computer. Removed content may exist in backup copies for a "reasonable period of time," but will not be available to others unless someone who had previous access to the photo or video has a direct link to it. Photos will only live in the content delivery network's cache for a restricted amount of time, according to CNET.
2. Check your linked apps.
Take a look at what apps are connected to your Facebook account. Then, change your form of login on these apps.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Facebook has become so ingrained in our web activity that we have used it to sign up and log in to most third-party apps, games or websites.
See also: 10 Tips and Tricks for the Facebook iPhone App
We log in with our social network accounts to save time and help the app become better personalized for us. But without realizing it, we're actually giving third-party developers permission to access, store and update the precious information we share.
What information exactly? Our "basic information," which includes our user ID, any public information and our friend list.
Here's how to check the apps connected to your Facebook account:
Click the downward arrow at the top right-hand corner of Facebook.
Select "Settings."
Click "Apps" in the left-hand column.
Popular apps that may be listed here are Pinterest, Instagram, Spotify and Pandora.
However, some apps such as Tinder will only allow you to use the app with a Facebook account. If this is the case, you'll need to decide if you absolutely can't live without that app and rethink deleting Facebook.
The trick here is to go to these apps and see if you can change your form of login by using your email address or Twitter handle instead. Your goal is to completely cut off any association between the app and your Facebook account.
3. Turn off your apps on Facebook.
Here's where to click to turn off your "platform" and remove apps from Facebook.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Once you've changed your form of login in the apps, it's a good idea to remove and disable them in your Facebook settings to be safe:
Click the downward arrow at the top right-hand corner of Facebook.
Click "Settings."
Select "Apps" in the left-hand column.
Remove each app on the list by clicking the "x" next to it.
A pop-up will ask you to confirm the removal of the app. Check off "Delete all your [app name] activity on Facebook. This may take a few minutes." Now, hit the "Remove" button.
Then, click "Edit" (this is to the right of "Use apps, plugins, games and websites on Facebook and elsewhere?")
Click "Turn Off Platform."
By turning off the platform and removing the apps, information about your apps cannot be recovered, and your user ID will no longer be shared with the applications.
4. See what information remains on your apps.
Unfortunately, getting rid of your information doesn't end there.
The apps you've used are maintained by outside businesses and developers who are not a part of Facebook, and may still hold onto the information you've shared in the past.
If you're concerned about this, Facebook recommends contacting the app directly to request they delete your data, and reviewing the app's privacy policy. The good news is that Facebook's policy requires developers and operators of applications and websites delete all your data received from Facebook if you ask them to do so.
Before contacting the third-party app, take a look at its privacy policies to understand how the app collects, shares and uses your information. Here are the privacy policy pages of common Facebook-connected apps:
Image: Mashable, Isar Change
If you're seriously considering deleting your Facebook account, you're not alone.
Start typing in the letters "dele" into Google and you'll see "delete Facebook account" as a top suggestion. Whether it's to alleviate privacy concerns or avoid digital distractions, more people are trying to figure out how to fully disconnect themselves from the social network giant that we live and breathe.
See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook
For those ready to call it quits, you're in for a surprise — it's more difficult than you think to erase yourself permanently. With its ever-changing privacy policies, becoming Facebook-free requires more steps than just hitting the delete button and saying goodbye.
Keep in mind deletion is not the same as deactivation. You can deactivate your account at any time, which means your Timeline and information will disappear from Facebook until you reactivate your account. When reactivated, your information is restored.
Deleting your account means you can never, ever access your account again, and you won't be able to retrieve any of your content or information.
See also: The Beginner's Guide to Facebook
Most of your personal data, like your email and mailing address, is removed from Facebook, but some information, such as messages and photos, may remain on its server for "technical reasons." Facebook's Help Center also says the data left behind will no longer be identifiable or searchable as your own, and that it will be inaccessible to other people using Facebook.
If you 100% want out, follow the step-by-step guide below to erase your Facebook footprint and make sure your account is gone for good.
1. Back up your Facebook information.
Facebook allows you to download a copy of your data, which includes your posts, photos and more.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Save photos, contact and birthday information and other data you'll need while your account is still running. Once your account is deleted, this information will be inaccessible.
We recommend downloading a copy of your Facebook data, which comes in the form of a ZIP file consisting of all your posts, including photos and videos. Here's how:
Click on the padlock icon at the upper right-hand corner of your Facebook.
Select "See More Settings."
Click “General,” the first option in the menu.
Click “Download a copy of your Facebook data.”
Finish by clicking “Start My Archive.”
Once the ZIP file has downloaded, save it in a safe place on your computer or hard drive.
For more details about where you can find your Facebook data, see the full breakdown here.
To save individual photos, click “Options” at the bottom of the photo and select “Download.”
Under Facebook's Terms of Service, when you delete your photos and videos (also known as IP content) or your account, it is erased in a way similar to emptying the recycle bin on your computer. Removed content may exist in backup copies for a "reasonable period of time," but will not be available to others unless someone who had previous access to the photo or video has a direct link to it. Photos will only live in the content delivery network's cache for a restricted amount of time, according to CNET.
2. Check your linked apps.
Take a look at what apps are connected to your Facebook account. Then, change your form of login on these apps.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Facebook has become so ingrained in our web activity that we have used it to sign up and log in to most third-party apps, games or websites.
See also: 10 Tips and Tricks for the Facebook iPhone App
We log in with our social network accounts to save time and help the app become better personalized for us. But without realizing it, we're actually giving third-party developers permission to access, store and update the precious information we share.
What information exactly? Our "basic information," which includes our user ID, any public information and our friend list.
Here's how to check the apps connected to your Facebook account:
Click the downward arrow at the top right-hand corner of Facebook.
Select "Settings."
Click "Apps" in the left-hand column.
Popular apps that may be listed here are Pinterest, Instagram, Spotify and Pandora.
However, some apps such as Tinder will only allow you to use the app with a Facebook account. If this is the case, you'll need to decide if you absolutely can't live without that app and rethink deleting Facebook.
The trick here is to go to these apps and see if you can change your form of login by using your email address or Twitter handle instead. Your goal is to completely cut off any association between the app and your Facebook account.
3. Turn off your apps on Facebook.
Here's where to click to turn off your "platform" and remove apps from Facebook.
Image: Screenshot Kyli Singh
Once you've changed your form of login in the apps, it's a good idea to remove and disable them in your Facebook settings to be safe:
Click the downward arrow at the top right-hand corner of Facebook.
Click "Settings."
Select "Apps" in the left-hand column.
Remove each app on the list by clicking the "x" next to it.
A pop-up will ask you to confirm the removal of the app. Check off "Delete all your [app name] activity on Facebook. This may take a few minutes." Now, hit the "Remove" button.
Then, click "Edit" (this is to the right of "Use apps, plugins, games and websites on Facebook and elsewhere?")
Click "Turn Off Platform."
By turning off the platform and removing the apps, information about your apps cannot be recovered, and your user ID will no longer be shared with the applications.
4. See what information remains on your apps.
Unfortunately, getting rid of your information doesn't end there.
The apps you've used are maintained by outside businesses and developers who are not a part of Facebook, and may still hold onto the information you've shared in the past.
If you're concerned about this, Facebook recommends contacting the app directly to request they delete your data, and reviewing the app's privacy policy. The good news is that Facebook's policy requires developers and operators of applications and websites delete all your data received from Facebook if you ask them to do so.
Before contacting the third-party app, take a look at its privacy policies to understand how the app collects, shares and uses your information. Here are the privacy policy pages of common Facebook-connected apps:
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