How do I delete my Facebook account?

Facebook account deletion starts in Settings, not from the homepage. Facebook’s help pages point you to Accounts Center and the account deactivation or deletion flow, where you choose the option to permanently delete the profile.

The important distinction is deletion versus deactivation. Deactivation hides the account temporarily, while deletion is the permanent option. That difference matters because people often think they are deleting when they are only pausing the account.

Before you do it, download anything you want to keep, like photos or messages, because deletion is meant to remove the account rather than archive it for later.

If you use Facebook for login elsewhere, check which apps depend on the account before deleting. That keeps a simple privacy move from turning into a mess of broken sign-ins.

So the short answer is to use Accounts Center, pick deletion instead of deactivation, and save your data first.

If you rely on Facebook for old photos, logins, or pages you manage, make sure you have copies or alternate access before you delete anything. The delete path is not hard to follow, but the hidden dependencies are what usually trip people up afterward. A careful backup step is the difference between a clean exit and a messy one.

If you are not completely sure you want it gone, deactivation is the safer pause button. That gives you time to think without leaving the account live and active, and it keeps you from rushing into a permanent decision when you really just wanted less noise for a while.