Quick answer
Go to Accounts Center > Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion, choose your profile, and pick Delete account. You have 30 days to change your mind by logging back in. After that, Facebook says it can take up to 90 days to delete everything. Messages you sent to others stay in their inboxes.
Step 1: Download your information (optional)
To keep a copy of your photos, posts, and messages, request it first in Accounts Center > Your information and permissions > Download your information. Meta prepares the file and notifies you when it's ready.
Step 2: Delete your account
On a computer:
- Click your profile picture, then Settings & privacy > Settings, then Accounts Center.
- Choose Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion.
- Select your Facebook profile, choose Delete account, and follow the prompts.
In the app: tap your profile picture, open Accounts Center, then follow the same path: Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion > Delete account.
What happens next
- 30 days to cancel. Logging back in during this time cancels the deletion, so stay logged out, including in other apps that use "Log in with Facebook".
- Up to 90 days for Facebook to delete everything, including copies in backup systems.
- Messenger goes too. Messages you sent stay in your friends' inboxes.
- Apps and websites you signed into with Facebook may lose access. Switch them to an email login first.
Your legal right to deletion
If you live in a state with a consumer privacy law, such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, or Oregon, Meta generally has to honor your deletion request and respond within the deadline your state sets. See what your state's law requires.
Facebook is probably not the only one
Most people have dozens of companies holding their information, from old shopping accounts to apps they've forgotten. DataTrail scans your inbox (read-only) to find them all, flags the ones with data breaches, and writes the deletion requests for you.
Become a testerSources: Security.org guide to deleting Facebook. DataTrail isn't affiliated with Facebook. Menus and policies change; if a step looks different, check Facebook's help center. This guide is general information, not legal advice.