How to delete or deactivate your Facebook, and how to get it back if you change your mind

Every year around Christmas and New Year's there seems to be a surge in people wanting to unplug from social media. From wanting a break from doom scrolling to spend more time with family or wanting to kick-start a New Year's resolution, there are many reasons people want to get rid of social media.

Facebook makes it easy to permanently delete or temporarily deactivate your account. You can choose to get rid of the app for good, take advantage of a 30-day window to change your mind or deactivate for a limited time of your choosing.

Here's how to delete your Facebook account.

How to delete a Facebook account

If you're looking to pull the plug for good on your Facebook, you'll need to follow these steps.

Delete through Facebook Settings:

1. Click on your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select "Settings & Privacy."
3. Click "Settings."
4. Click "Your Facebook Information."
5. Click "Deactivation and Deletion."
6. Choose "Delete Account," then click "Continue to account deletion."
7. Click "Delete Account," enter your password and then click "Continue."

Delete through Accounts Center:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select "Settings & Privacy," then click "Settings."
3. Click "Accounts Center" at the top left of your screen.
4. Click "Personal Details" under "Account Settings."
5. Click "Account ownership and control."
6. Click "Deactivation or deletion."
7. Choose the account or profile you want to delete.
8. Select "Delete account."
9. Click "Continue" then follow the instructions to confirm.

How do I reverse my Facebook account deletion?

Facebook gives users a 30-day window to change their mind on deleting their accounts.

To cancel your account deletion, log into your Facebook account before the 30 days are up and click "Cancel Deletion."

After 30 days, your account and all of your information will be permanently deleted, and you will not be able to retrieve it.

How to deactivate Facebook

If you want to take a break from Facebook but don't want to lose all of your content, you can temporarily deactivate your account.

Deactivate through Facebook Settings:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select "Settings & Privacy," then click "Settings."
3. Click "Privacy," then click "Your Facebook Information."
4. Click "Deactivation and Deletion."
5. Choose "Deactivate Account," then click "Continue to Account Deactivation" and follow the instructions to confirm.

Deactivate Facebook through Accounts Center:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select "Settings & Privacy," then click "Settings."
3. Click "Accounts Center" at the top left of your screen.
4. Click Personal "details," under "Account Settings."
5. Click "Account ownership and control."
6. Click "Deactivation or deletion."
7. Choose the account or profile you want to deactivate.
8. Select "Deactivate account."
9. Click "Continue" then follow the instructions to confirm.

You can deactivate your account temporarily and come back whenever you want.

When your account is deactivated:

• No one will be able to see your profile.
• Your friends may still see your name in their friends list.
• Group admins may still be able to see your posts and comments.
• You will lose access to Oculus products and information.
• Any pages you control will also be deactivated.

You can choose to keep Messenger active. You will still be able to chat with friends, your profile picture will still be visible in your conversations and other people can search for you to send you a message.

Can I reactivate Facebook after deactivating?

If you've had enough of a break, you can reactivate your account at any time by simply logging back into Facebook.

You'll need to have access to the email or mobile number used to log in to complete the reactivation. You will be able to reactivate any pages you control that were deactivated along with your account.

How can I delete my Facebook account without password?

The short answer is you can't technically delete Facebook yourself without the password to the account.

Users can reset their password and log back in with the new one to delete or deactivate their Facebook account. If you don't have access to the email associated with your account, you can answer security questions to get a code that will allow you into the account.

If neither of those options work, users will need to request, via email or phone, that Facebook delete their account. You will need to provide evidence that is your account and will take a few days for Facebook to verify the information.

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Meredith G. White is the entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic |azcentral.com. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her atmeredith.white@arizonarepublic.com.

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