Facebook has endured several scandals over the years, and they invariably concern the privacy and security of its users. This led to the #DeleteFacebook entrada, and y'all were possibly tempted to delete Facebook as a event.

However, there is another option. Rather than deleting Facebook, you can simply deactivate your account. But what happens when you deactivate your Facebook account? If you conciliate Facebook, can you still employ Messenger?

What Is the Difference Between Deleting and Deactivating Facebook?

quitting-facebook

There'south a deviation between deleting and deactivating your Facebook account. They're non interchangeable terms.

Deactivation is for people who aren't sure they desire to leave Facebook forever. If you simply want to take a sabbatical from social media, deactivation is a good choice, although it'due south not the simply one. You lot could but ignore Facebook without deactivating it, but that depends on how tempted yous'll exist to return.

Deleting Facebook is more permanent. It'south a decision that yous shouldn't accept lightly. If yous delete your account, you can't come up back and expect any of your data to still exist intact. There is a style to start again, but we'll return to that later on.

Can People Search for Me if I Deactivate Facebook?

People can still search for you lot, but your contour shouldn't testify up. In theory.

Your timeline will disappear, aslope your list of "likes". That should happen immediately, though you'll demand to jump through a few hoops to get to that stage. Everything will be invisible.

Similarly, if you delete Facebook, your business relationship will vanish. But full deletion won't happen for a piffling while considering the social network gives you lot 30 days' leeway earlier the point of no return.

If you log back in shortly subsequently deactivating your account, it will be automatically reactivated.

Otherwise, information technology takes 90 days for Facebook to remove information on a deleted business relationship from its servers. Some details volition still be, but any personal identifiers volition disappear. Yous'll get a statistic.

Does My Profile Completely Disappear if I Deactivate Facebook?

profile name searches

Deactivation should brand your profile invisible. However, some deactivated users report that, afterwards logging back in, they have numerous pending friend requests. This indicates that their names are still searchable and the links are nonetheless active. Depending on your privacy settings, full details shouldn't exist available.

How do you brand sure your deactivated Facebook profile disappears? Try a simple search, either through a friend's profile or using Google. The former is a better option; otherwise, information technology could take a lot of time scouring results featuring others with the aforementioned name as you. This should tell you if others can still find yous, even after deactivating your account.

If you all the same exist on Facebook, endeavor logging back in so trying to deactivate again. If this still doesn't work, yous can mutter to Facebook or take the next step: deletion. Before y'all do that, read on to find out what you need to practise earlier deleting Facebook entirely.

If deactivation has worked, your posts on your ain timeline won't exist publicly visible, and your friends shouldn't be able to come across them either. Your whole profile will have gone. But that doesn't mean comments you've made to others will disappear every bit well.

Facebook is obsessed with memories. Information technology likes to brand you nostalgic, and remind y'all of just how long y'all've used social media. Information technology's to build brand loyalty.

That's why your comments won't vanish. Your name will appear every bit plain text since Facebook has removed the link to your account. Facebook will besides supplant your profile image with a default icon.

And of course, if you lot choose to reactivate your Facebook account, all of those posts volition revert to normal.

What happens if you delete Facebook permanently? Facebook will erase your data inside three months, but there are no guarantees that it will clear every last bit of flotsam and jetsam—comments, reactions, and posts on others' timelines.

How to Tell if Someone Blocked You on Facebook or Deactivated Their Account

What does a deactivated Facebook account wait like? Y'all won't exist able to check their contour considering links revert to plain text. Posts they've made on your timeline will nonetheless exist merely yous will not be able to click on their name.

If you're concerned that someone has been unusually quiet on Facebook, there are 3 options to consider. The first is that they're just busy. Try messaging them to ask if they're okay.

Look through your list of friends. If they're however listed, they're probably just preoccupied. If they're not, the second possibility is that they've blocked you. Just earlier y'all investigate that, question whether they've deleted their account completely.

Facebook advises you deactivate your account if you carry on using Messenger

So how do you know if someone has blocked you lot on Facebook or deactivated their account?

Go to a mutual friend's profile and check whether it shows the person in question. If their name is searchable, the profile however exists. Sadly, though, that probably ways they blocked you.

Check on Messenger; there could be a technical issue. You can't send a message to someone who has blocked you, and their profile picture volition be replaced on whatsoever comments they've previously posted on your timeline.

Tin I Still Utilize Messenger Without Facebook?

Y'all might worry that by deactivating Facebook, y'all won't be able to use the separate (only yet connected) Messenger app. They're both owned by the same company and mine the same contact list. It seems like Messenger cannot be without its parent, and that used to be the example.

But you tin can still utilize Messenger fifty-fifty if you lot don't have a Facebook account.

When you deactivate your account, Facebook will ask if you lot want to deactivate Messenger also. Say no, and the app will retain your information. If you'd adopt to become without the instant messaging service, yous can deactivate Messenger separately.

In some cases, you'll need to reinstall Messenger subsequently deactivation. If you delete Facebook, you'll certainly have to sign into the app again, albeit using a slightly different method. To do this, yous merely click Not On Facebook?, and add your name and phone number. Allow it access to your accost volume then you can keep in touch with friends.

Can People See My Messages if I Conciliate Facebook?

Yes, you can nevertheless apply Messenger, and then it follows that your messages will appear after deactivating your account. In fact, when you press "Send," as long as you accept internet access, the bulletin will go directly to the recipient'southward inbox.

Withal, if you delete Facebook, your previous messages will read "Facebook User". The recipient won't be able to answer. Incidentally, this is the same thing that happens if you cake someone.

Can You lot Reactivate a Facebook Account?

If you lot've deactivated your Facebook account, all you need to do is log back in. You tin can alter your password if you've forgotten it. Your profile still exists, equally does your personal information. Previous messages and comments typically re-appear likewise.

Actually, Facebook makes it very piece of cake to reactivate. That's specially true if you've given the social network your phone number. Some users have reported getting texts from Facebook, tempting them back. Clicking on the accompanying link—fifty-fifty accidentally—will reactivate your profile. (Of form, it'southward unsafe to click on SMS links, then be careful!)

Facebook general account settings let you download all personal information

Can y'all reactivate a deleted Facebook account? Y'all can, simply information technology'south more than difficult. You'll demand to accept taken steps to gear up for your reactivation before deletion.

The social network lets you download a copy of all the data Facebook has stored about you. That means yous can become your account back up and running, although the process is a bit trickier than if you've but deactivated it.

What Happens to Tagged Photos Later on Deactivating Facebook?

Because Facebook has saved your data for your potential return, tags in pictures volition withal exist. However, those tags will convert to plain text. No one can link those images to a contour (to reiterate, your profile isn't visible to anyone). This is also true of whatsoever other posts you lot're tagged in.

If you lot reactivate your account, the tags will reappear as if zippo's happened.

Much the same happens after deletion; tags will revert to plain text. If you open a new account, those original tags won't link automatically with your name again. Merely think of the number of people with the same name as you.

Let'southward say y'all have deleted your contour, then regretted it, and decided to return. You'll need to enquire your contacts to remove previous tags and update them to your new profile.

Worried most an embarrassing photo? Don't want people identifying you fifty-fifty after deactivation or deletion? Don't forget yous can manually remove tags anyway—merely do so before taking farther steps with your account.

Should You Deactivate or Delete Facebook?

If y'all're reading this because you're not certain whether to delete or deactivate Facebook, choose the latter and stick with Facebook. Why? Because you're clearly unsure almost the decision. Information technology's better to offset with the non-nuclear option which will let you to return one day.

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