Facebook and Messenger are two of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with billions of active users. However, there may come a time when you want to take a break from these platforms, or even deactivate your account. While deactivating your Facebook account is relatively simple, deactivating Messenger can be a bit more complicated. In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to deactivate Facebook with Messenger, as well as some tips on how to protect your data before you do so.
Before you deactivate your Facebook account, it is important to back up your data. This includes your photos, videos, messages, and other important information. You can do this by going to the “Settings” menu and clicking on the “Download Your Information” option. Once you have backed up your data, you can then deactivate your account by going to the “Settings” menu and clicking on the “Deactivate Your Account” option. You will be asked to enter your password and then click on the “Deactivate” button. Your account will then be deactivated, and you will no longer be able to access it.
Prepare for Deactivation
Back Up Your Data
Preserve your precious memories and information by downloading your data before deactivating your account.
Log into your Facebook account and navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information. Select the data categories you wish to back up, including posts, photos, videos, and messages. Remember to click the “Create File” button to initiate the download process.
Time Considerations
| Data Category | Estimated Download Time |
|---|---|
| Posts and Comments | Depends on account size |
| Photos and Videos | Can take several hours or days |
| Messages and Chats | May take multiple hours |
Download File Format
- HTML: Webpage format suitable for viewing on a browser
- JSON: Machine-readable format used for data analysis
- Both HTML and JSON: Combined archive for comprehensive preservation
Temporarily Disable Your Account
If you need a temporary break from Facebook, you can temporarily disable your account instead of deleting it. This will hide your profile and all your information from other users, but you will still be able to use Messenger.
To temporarily disable your account:
Your account will be disabled immediately, but you can reactivate it at any time by logging back into Facebook.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you temporarily disable your account:
- Your profile will be hidden from other users.
- You will not be able to post or comment on Facebook.
- You will not be able to send or receive Facebook messages.
- You will still be able to use Messenger.
- Your account will be reactivated if you log back into Facebook within 30 days.
- If you do not log back into Facebook within 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted.
Confirm Deactivation
To deactivate your Facebook account while keeping Messenger active, follow these steps:
- Log in to Facebook.
- Click the down arrow in the top right corner of the screen and select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Click “Settings.”
- Select “Your Facebook Information” in the left-hand menu.
- Click “Deactivation and Deletion.”
- Choose “Deactivate Account.”
- Read the information on the screen and click “Confirm.”
Personalize Settings
Keep Messenger Active
When you deactivate your Facebook account, you have the option to keep Messenger active. This allows you to continue using Messenger to chat with your friends and family, even though your Facebook account is inactive.
To keep Messenger active, select the “Keep Messenger Active” checkbox before you click “Confirm” in the deactivation process.
Download Your Information
Before you deactivate your Facebook account, you may want to download a copy of your information. This includes your posts, photos, videos, and other data.
To download your information, click “Download Your Information” in the “Your Facebook Information” section of the Settings menu.
Delete Your Account
If you’re sure you want to delete your Facebook account completely, you can do so by following the steps in the “Delete Your Account” section of the Settings menu.
Once you delete your account, it will be permanently inaccessible. You will not be able to recover any of your data.
Messenger Deactivation
Deactivating Messenger without deactivating Facebook is not possible. However, you can temporarily disable Messenger to hide your active status and notifications.
Steps on Temporarily Disabling Messenger 1. Open Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top-left corner. 2. Scroll down and tap “Settings”. 3. Tap “Notifications” and then “Quiet Mode”. 4. Toggle the switch to “On”. 5. Adjust the duration for which you want to disable Messenger notifications. Alternatively, you can snooze specific conversations by tapping and holding the conversation, then selecting “Snooze Notifications”.
Deactivating Messenger Independently
There may be times when you wish to use Facebook, but not be reachable on Messenger. You can deactivate Messenger separately from your Facebook account, which makes your Messenger profile inaccessible to others. Here are the steps to deactivate Messenger independently:
- Open the Messenger app on your mobile phone or tablet.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- Scroll down and tap on “Settings.”
- Tap on “Account Ownership” then “Account Center.”
- Select “Messenger” from the list of accounts.
- Tap on “Deactivate” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
After deactivating Messenger, you can still use Facebook without being reachable on Messenger. Your Messenger messages and conversations will be hidden, and you will not receive any new messages. However, you can reactivate Messenger at any time by logging back into the app.
It’s important to note that deactivating Messenger does not delete your account or any of your data. Your messages and conversations will still be available once you reactivate Messenger.
Understanding Messenger Limitations
Unlike deactivating your Facebook account, deactivating Messenger entirely is not possible. However, there are several limitations to keep in mind when using Messenger while your Facebook account is deactivated:
1. No Access to Facebook Features
Messenger is integrated with Facebook, so deactivating your Facebook account will prevent you from accessing Messenger features that rely on Facebook, such as the ability to see when your friends are active or using Facebook groups.
2. Limited Conversation Access
When you deactivate your Facebook account, you will lose access to conversations from people you’re not connected with on Messenger. These conversations will be hidden until you reactivate your Facebook account.
3. No New Conversations
You will not be able to initiate new conversations with individuals you’re not connected with on Messenger while your Facebook account is deactivated.
4. Profile Information Hidden
Your Messenger profile picture, name, and other information will be hidden from users who are not connected with you on Messenger.
5. No Group Messages
You will not be able to participate in or receive group messages on Messenger.
6. Message History Limited
After 30 days of deactivating your Facebook account, your Messenger history will be permanently deleted. Any conversations you had prior to deactivation will be lost.
7. Reactivation Requirements
To reactivate your Facebook account and regain access to Messenger, you must provide a valid email address or phone number that was associated with your account. Once reactivated, your Messenger history may not be immediately restored. If your account has been deactivated for more than 30 days, your message history will be permanently lost.
Messenger Deactivation without Facebook Deactivation
It’s possible to deactivate Messenger without deactivating your Facebook account. This allows you to continue using Messenger to communicate with friends and family, while taking a break from the rest of the Facebook platform.
To deactivate Messenger without deactivating Facebook:
1. Open the Messenger app.
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
3. Scroll down and tap on “Settings”.
4. Tap on “Account”.
5. Tap on “Deactivate Messenger”.
6. Enter your password and tap on “Continue”.
7. Tap on “Deactivate”.
8. Messenger will be deactivated. You will no longer be able to send or receive messages, but your contacts will still be able to see your profile and send you messages.
Benefits
Drawbacks
- Continue using Messenger to communicate with friends and family.
- Take a break from the rest of the Facebook platform.
- Your contacts will still be able to see your profile and send you messages.
- You will no longer be able to send or receive messages.
- You may miss important updates from friends and family.
- Your contacts may not know that you have deactivated Messenger.
How to Deactivate Facebook With Messenger
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Click the down arrow in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select "Settings & Privacy".
- Click "Settings".
- Scroll down to the "Your Facebook Information" section.
- Click "Deactivation and Deletion".
- Select "Deactivate Account".
- Click "Continue".
- You will be prompted to provide a reason for deactivating your account and to enter your password.
- If you have an active status on Messenger, a pop-up window will appear on the page confirming your deactivation request and mentioning that your Messenger access will be deactivated as well.
- Be sure to follow all the steps provided by Facebook to successfully deactivate both your Facebook and Messenger accounts.
Re-activating Your Facebook and Messenger Accounts
- To reactivate your Facebook and Messenger accounts, simply log back into Facebook with your email address and password.
Re-activating Your Facebook and Messenger Accounts
Once you have deactivated your Facebook and Messenger accounts, it will take effect immediately. The accounts will remain deactivated until you log back in using the same login credentials you used to deactivate them. By doing so, both your Facebook and Messenger accounts will be reactivated and you will have access to all the features and data associated with both accounts.
Additional Considerations
1. Deactivating and Deleting Your Account
While deactivating your account keeps your data safe, it does not permanently delete it. If you wish to remove your Facebook account and all associated data, you will need to delete it. Once your account is deleted, it cannot be restored.
2. Messenger Accessibility
When you deactivate your Facebook account, Messenger will also be deactivated. However, if you have registered Messenger with a phone number, you can still use it without reactivating your Facebook account.
3. Group Chats
If you are the sole administrator of a Facebook group chat, deactivating your account will automatically assign the role to another member. If you are not the administrator, the chat will continue without you.
4. App Permissions
Any apps connected to your Facebook account will be revoked when you deactivate it. You will need to reauthorize them after reactivating.
5. Linked Accounts
Linked accounts, such as those for Instagram or WhatsApp, will not be affected by deactivating Facebook. However, you may need to re-enter your password to access them.
6. Facebook Login for Third-Party Apps
If you use Facebook to log into other apps or websites, you may experience issues accessing them when your Facebook account is deactivated.
7. Timeframe for Reactivation
You can reactivate your Facebook account at any time. However, there is a delay of 14 days between deactivation and reactivation.
8. Deactivation vs. Deletion
Deactivation is a temporary suspension of your account, while deletion is a permanent removal of all your data. Choose carefully before performing either action.
9. Messenger Data Retention
Even though Messenger is deactivated, some message data may still be stored on your device or the recipient’s device.
10. Additional Considerations for Businesses
Businesses should take extra precautions when deactivating their Facebook accounts. Consider the following:
- Scheduled Posts: Deactivating your account will remove all scheduled posts.
- Messenger Customer Support: If you use Messenger for customer support, you may need to find an alternative communication channel.
- Facebook Advertising: Active Facebook ads will be paused when you deactivate your account.
How to Deactivate Facebook With Messenger
Deactivating Facebook with Messenger requires a slightly different approach than deactivating Facebook alone. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Click on the downward-facing arrow at the top right corner of the page and select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Under “Settings,” click on “Your Facebook Information” and then “Deactivation and Deletion.”
- Choose “Deactivate Account” and then “Continue to Account Deactivation.”
- Enter your Facebook password to confirm your identity.
- Uncheck the box that says “Keep Messenger Active.” This will deactivate both Facebook and Messenger.
- Click “Deactivate” to complete the process.
Once your account is deactivated, your profile will no longer be visible to others, but you will still be able to use Messenger. To reactivate your account, simply log back into Facebook and click “Reactivate” on the login screen.
People Also Ask
Can I Deactivate Only Facebook and Not Messenger?
Yes, it is possible to deactivate Facebook without deactivating Messenger.
Follow the steps outlined above and make sure to keep the box checked that says “Keep Messenger Active.” This will allow you to continue using Messenger while your Facebook account is deactivated.
What Happens When I Deactivate My Facebook Account?
When you deactivate your Facebook account, your profile and all of your information will no longer be visible to others.
However, Facebook will still store your data, and you will be able to reactivate your account at any time. You will also still be able to use Messenger, but your Facebook friends will not be able to see your Messenger profile.
How Do I Reactivate My Facebook Account?
To reactivate your Facebook account, simply log back into Facebook and click “Reactivate” on the login screen.
Your account will be reactivated immediately, and your profile and all of your information will be visible to others again.
