So yeah, I deactivated my Facebook.
Not because I hate it (okay, maybe a little), but because I just needed a break. The constant noise, the notifications, the drama from people I barely remember from middle school? Yeah, it was a lot.
If you’re thinking the same thing — this guide is for you.
I’ll walk you through exactly how I deactivated my Facebook in a way that’s easy to follow, even if you’ve never done anything like this before. I kept it super simple, step-by-step, and even tossed in a few visuals to make it extra clear.
TL;DR — Quick Steps
*How I Deactivated Facebook:**
- Open the app
- Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Account Center > Personal Details
- Account Ownership & Control
- Deactivation or Deletion
- Choose "Deactivate" > Enter password
- Done!
What Does “Deactivate” Even Mean?
Before I show you how, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.
There’s a big difference between deactivating and deleting your Facebook:
| Deactivate (What I Did) | Delete (Forever Ever) |
|---|---|
| Temporary break | Gone for good |
| You can come back later | You can’t undo it |
| People can’t see your stuff | Everything gets deleted |
| Messenger still works (if you want) | Messenger is gone too |
I didn’t delete mine — I just deactivated it. That way, I could come back if I wanted.
Some Things I Learned Before Deactivating
- Your profile, photos, and posts don’t get deleted — they’re just hidden
- You can come back whenever by logging in again
- You can even keep using Messenger if you want (Facebook lets you choose)
How I Deactivated Facebook on My Phone
I did this on my iPhone, but it’s the same on Android. Here’s what I did:
- Opened the Facebook app
- Tapped the ☰ menu button (you know, the three lines)
- Scrolled down to Settings & Privacy, then tapped Settings
- Scrolled down to Account Center
- Tapped Personal Details
- Then went to Account Ownership and Control
- Picked Deactivation or Deletion
- Chose my account (because I had a few connected)
- Tapped Deactivate Account
- Picked a reason (I said “just need a break”)
- Entered my password
- Boom — I was out
Here’s What That Flow Looks Like
Facebook App
↓
Menu (☰)
↓
Settings & Privacy
↓
Settings
↓
Account Center
↓
Personal Details
↓
Account Ownership and Control
↓
Deactivation or Deletion
↓
Deactivate
Let me know if you want me to turn this into a real image or cheat sheet for your wall or website.
How I Did It on My Laptop (Just to Test)
Later, I tried doing it on my laptop too. Here’s what I clicked:
- Went to facebook.com
- Clicked the down arrow (▼) at the top right
- Clicked Settings & Privacy, then Settings
- Found Your Facebook Information on the left
- Clicked Deactivation and Deletion
- Selected Deactivate
- Hit Continue, put in my password, and that was it
What Actually Changes When You Deactivate?
I was curious, so here’s what I noticed after I did it:
| What Changes | ✅ or ❌ |
|---|---|
| Friends can see my profile | ❌ Nope |
| My name still showed up in their friend lists | ✅ Yep |
| Messenger still worked (I kept it on) | ✅ Yes |
| I could log back in anytime | ✅ Super easy |
| Did Facebook delete anything? | ❌ Nothing was gone |
Why I Did It (And Why You Might Too)
For me, it wasn’t one big reason — it was a bunch of little ones:
- Too much time scrolling when I could’ve been doing literally anything else
- Weird arguments from people I hadn’t talked to since 2013
- Feeling like I was stuck in a loop of “like–scroll–like–scroll”
- I just needed some peace
Taking a break felt good. I had more headspace, more quiet, more control.
If You Want to Come Back
All I had to do was log in again with my email and password.
That’s it.
Facebook turns everything back on like I never left.
A Silly Graph That Explains the Feeling
Feeling 💬 | My Facebook Energy 📉
------------------------|-----------------------
Excited to post | 🔋🔋🔋🔋
Too many weird ads | 🔋🔋
Random uncle drama | 🔋
Scroll burnout | 🔋
Done for now | ✅ DEACTIVATED
Bonus Tips If You’re Gonna Do It Too
- Tell your close friends you’re taking a break so they don’t think you blocked them
- Download your stuff if you want to save photos or posts (Settings > Your Info > Download)
- You can keep using Messenger — just don’t uncheck that option when you deactivate
My Final Thought
Deactivating Facebook doesn’t mean I’m gone forever.
It just means I’m choosing to take a breath, focus on real life, and stop letting an app run my day.
If you’re feeling the same way… try it.
You can always come back.
But sometimes, it’s nice to step away — even if just for a little while.
