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The fastest way to download your Facebook pictures, posts and other account data is through Accounts Center. Choose Your information and permissions > Export your information, select a profile and use Export to device. Facebook then prepares a ZIP archive that you can download from Available downloads.
This guide covers computer and mobile steps, HTML versus JSON, missing or deleted content, additional profiles, Pages, encrypted Messenger chats and direct transfers to other services.
Download your Facebook information to a computer or phone
Facebook’s current download tool is in Accounts Center. From there, choose the Facebook profile, select Export to device, pick the information and date range you need, then create the export. When Facebook says the file is ready, download it from Available downloads. A completed export is available for four days, so do not leave it there indefinitely.
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- Choose what you actually need. A complete archive can be very large. If you only need old pictures and posts, select those categories and a limited date range.
- Check available storage. High-quality photos and videos can make the ZIP file substantially larger. You may need room for both the ZIP and the extracted files.
- Have your password ready. Facebook may require your password or additional verification before allowing the export.
- Export before deleting your account. After permanent deletion, Facebook says that added photos, posts, videos and other content cannot be retrieved. Deactivation is different from deletion and may require reactivating the account before you can export it.
How to download Facebook data on a computer
- Open Facebook and select your profile picture in the top-right area.
- Choose Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Open Accounts Center.
- Select Your information and permissions.
- Choose Export your information.
- Select Create export, then choose the Facebook profile you want to export.
- Choose Export to device and continue to the customization screen.
- Select the categories, date range, format, notification email address and media quality.
- Start the export and complete any password or security verification Facebook requests.
Some versions of Facebook or localized help pages may call the feature Download your information. The wording, icon placement and rollout can vary, but Accounts Center is the central place to look.
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How to download Facebook data in the mobile app
- Open the Facebook app and tap Menu.
- Open Settings & privacy, then tap Settings.
- Open Accounts Center.
- Tap Your information and permissions.
- Choose Export your information, then Create export.
- Select the Facebook profile to export.
- Choose Export to device and continue.
- Configure the categories, date range, format, email notifications and media quality.
- Start the export and complete any required verification.
If a label is not in exactly this position, use the Accounts Center search or browse for Your information and permissions. Facebook frequently changes app layouts and tests different interfaces.
Choose the right export settings
Categories
Facebook can offer categories covering areas such as:
- Posts and tagged photos
- Personal information
- Connections
- Logged information
- Security and login information
- Apps and websites outside Facebook
- Preferences
- Advertising information
- Data logs
The exact list and the historical depth available can change. Treat the category selector in your own export request as the authoritative list. If preservation matters more than download size, select more categories and use a broader date range. If you need a manageable archive, request only the categories and dates you need.
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Date range
Use a specific range when you are looking for a particular year, event or set of posts. Use the broadest available range when creating a long-term account archive. A narrower range generally produces a smaller, easier-to-search export.
Media quality
Choose higher quality when preserving original-looking photos and videos is important. The trade-off is a larger export and greater storage requirement. Lower quality may be adequate for a quick reference copy or when storage and download time matter more.
Notification email
Facebook asks for an email address for notifications and also sends an in-Facebook notification when the device export is ready. The notification means the export has been prepared; it does not necessarily mean the download will remain available indefinitely.
How long does a Facebook export take?
There is no reliable single completion time. Preparation depends on the categories selected, date range, amount of media and Facebook’s current processing state. An ordinary information request is often ready within a few hours, but you should treat that as an estimate rather than a guarantee.
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Data logs are different. Facebook says data logs may take up to 15 days. They can include logged interactions, such as things viewed or clicked, plus information supporting Facebook use, including device information and third-party apps or websites used with Facebook Login. A data-log request does not delay the ordinary information request.
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Download the completed archive
- Return to Accounts Center > Your information and permissions > Export your information.
- Open Available downloads.
- Choose the completed export and select its download option.
- Enter your password or complete additional verification if requested.
- Save the ZIP file to a location with enough free space.
The four-day retention period starts when Facebook marks the export as ready, not when you first remember to check for it. Download it promptly. If the link expires, you will generally need to create a new export.
Open and use the downloaded Facebook archive
Facebook normally packages a device export as a ZIP file. Extract the ZIP before trying to browse the contents. The archive can contain an HTML index file along with folders for requested photos, videos and other files.
HTML: best for browsing
Choose HTML if you want to inspect the archive in a browser. After extracting the ZIP, open the file named index in the extracted folder. It provides a human-readable way to navigate much of the export.
HTML is usually the simplest choice for personal archiving because it lets you browse without writing code. It is still an archive of files, not necessarily a polished photo-library replacement: media may be organized into folders and connected to posts or metadata through the index.
JSON: best for searching or processing
Choose JSON when you plan to search the archive programmatically, analyze it, or import structured information into another system. JSON stores information in a machine-readable format, but it does not automatically combine your media into a finished photo library. Photos, videos and other attachments remain separate files.
| Choose | When it makes sense | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | You want to browse your archive manually | Open the extracted index file in a browser |
| JSON | You want automated searching, analysis or import | Structured records plus separate media files |
What may be missing from the export?
A Facebook export is not a universal copy of everything you can see on the service.
- Other people’s shared information may not be included. For example, another person’s photo in which you were tagged is not necessarily part of your export.
- Deleted content may be unrecoverable. Posts or pictures that were permanently deleted may no longer exist in Facebook’s systems or backups.
- Categories can change. Available data types and historical coverage depend on the current export tool and your account.
- Different export routes support different data. A device archive and an export to an outside service do not necessarily offer the same categories.
If a particular photo, post or message matters, do not assume that a general account export will preserve it. Check the category selection carefully and keep copies before deleting or changing the account.
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If your account has additional Facebook profiles, select and export each relevant profile separately. Some information associated with additional profiles, including certain advertising information, may only be available through the main profile.
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Review the profile name shown during the Create export step before starting. Exporting the wrong profile can produce a valid archive that does not contain the material you expected.
Download encrypted Messenger conversations
Do not assume that the ordinary profile export is the only way to retrieve Messenger information. Facebook provides a separate, computer-only download for end-to-end encrypted chats when secure storage is enabled.
On Facebook.com, use this path:
Chats > chat settings > Privacy & safety > End-to-end encrypted chats > Message storage > Download secure storage data
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Download information from a Facebook Page
Facebook Pages have their own download flow rather than using the personal-profile workflow exactly as written above.
The person requesting the download must have Facebook access with full control of the Page.
- Switch into the Facebook Page.
- Open the Page’s settings.
- Choose Download your information.
- Select the format, media quality, date range and categories.
- Create the download and retrieve it when Facebook makes it available.
The Page download link expires after four days. Menu wording and placement may vary as Facebook updates Page settings.
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If you do not need a local ZIP file, Accounts Center may offer Export to external service. Choose an available destination, connect and authenticate the service, customize the request and start the transfer.
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This option is useful for moving supported photos, videos or other information directly to another service, but it is not necessarily a complete substitute for a device export. Facebook and each destination support different information types, and the destinations shown to you may change.
Meta has described transfers of photos and videos to services including Backblaze, Dropbox, Google Photos and Koofr, and transfers of posts and notes to Google Docs, Blogger and WordPress.com. Treat those names as historical examples, not a guaranteed current menu. The destinations available in your own export screen are the ones that matter.
Facebook requires password re-entry for the transfer and says the data is encrypted in transit.
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Protect the exported files
Your archive may contain private messages, personal activity, login and security information, photos, videos and information about connected apps. Treat it like a sensitive personal record.
- Save it on a device or cloud account you trust.
- Do not upload the ZIP to an unfamiliar file-conversion, backup or “archive viewer” website.
- Use an encrypted drive or protected account when possible.
- Keep the original ZIP until you have confirmed that the extracted files open correctly.
- Delete duplicate temporary copies when you no longer need them.
You do not need special hardware. If your computer or trusted cloud storage does not have enough room, a USB flash drive is a practical optional choice. A portable external hard drive offers more capacity for a large photo and video archive. Neither is required by Facebook.
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The export is too large
Reduce the date range, request fewer categories, or choose a lower media quality. If preservation is the priority, keep the larger request and use additional trusted storage instead.
The export is not ready
Wait for Facebook’s notification and check Available downloads. Processing time varies with scope and media volume. A data-log request can take much longer—up to 15 days according to Facebook—without preventing the ordinary export from becoming available.
The download link expired
Completed exports are retained for four days. After that window, create a new export with the same settings or adjust the request if you need a smaller archive.
Some photos or posts are absent
Confirm that you selected the correct profile, category and date range. Content shared by someone else and permanently deleted content may not be recoverable through the export.
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You cannot export a deactivated or deleted account
A deactivated profile may need to be reactivated before exporting. If the account was permanently deleted, Facebook says that added photos, posts, videos and other content cannot be retrieved after deletion.
Messenger content is missing
For end-to-end encrypted conversations, check whether secure storage is enabled and use the separate computer-only secure-storage path. The ordinary account archive and encrypted-chat download are distinct routes.
Facebook export checklist
- Choose the correct personal profile or switch into the correct Page.
- Select only the categories and dates you need—or select broadly for preservation.
- Choose HTML for normal browsing or JSON for programmatic use.
- Set media quality according to your storage capacity.
- Start the export and complete password verification.
- Download it promptly from Available downloads.
- Extract the ZIP and open the HTML index if you chose HTML.
- Use the separate secure-storage download for encrypted Messenger chats.
- Keep the archive in secure storage and verify it before deleting anything from Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I download all my Facebook information?
Open Accounts Center, select Your information and permissions, choose Export your information, select Create export, choose your Facebook profile, then select Export to device. Configure the categories, dates, format, media quality and notification email before starting the export.
Should I choose HTML or JSON for my Facebook download?
HTML is best for browsing the archive manually. JSON is better for programmatic searching, analysis or importing structured records. In either format, photos, videos and attachments remain separate media files.
How long is a Facebook download available?
Facebook says a completed export is available for four days after it is ready. Download it from Available downloads as soon as you receive the notification.
Does Facebook export everything I can see?
No. Content shared by other people, such as another person’s photo where you were tagged, may not be included. Permanently deleted posts and pictures may also be unrecoverable.
How do I download encrypted Messenger chats?
Use Facebook.com’s separate secure-storage path: Chats, chat settings, Privacy & safety, End-to-end encrypted chats, Message storage, then Download secure storage data. This is a computer-only workflow when secure storage is enabled.
Can I download data from a Facebook Page?
Yes, if you have Facebook access with full control. Switch into the Page, open its settings, choose Download your information, configure the request and download it within four days after it is ready.
The Bottom Line
For a personal Facebook archive, use Accounts Center > Your information and permissions > Export your information, choose Export to device, and download the completed ZIP within four days. Select HTML for easy browsing or JSON for analysis, and remember that other people’s shared content, permanently deleted material and some encrypted Messenger records may require separate handling.
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