How to Temporarily Deactivate Facebook

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This Itechguide teaches you how temporarily deactivate Facebook. The guide covers steps to temporarily deactivate Facebook from a PC, iPhone or Android.

Important notes about deactivating your Facebook account:

• Your Facebook profile will no longer be visible to anybody
• Messages sent to friends may still be visible

If you have not deactivated messenger:

• You can still chat with Friends on Facebook Messenger
• Other Facebook users can still find you on Messenger and send you messages
• Your Facebook profile picture will still be visible in your Facebook Messages.

Option 1: Temporarily Deactivate from a PC (Facebook.com)

• Open Facebook.com from a browser in your PC. Then, login with your Email or Phone and Password.

• At the top right of your Facebook News Feed, tap the downward arrow. A menu with some options will be displayed.  

• Then, from the displayed menu options, click Settings.

• At the left pane of your Facebook Settings page, click Your Facebook Information.

• At the bottom of Your Facebook Information page, click Deactivation and deletion.

• When the Deactivating or deleting your Facebook account page opens, ensure that the Deactivate account option is selected (this is the default, but it is important to confirm).
• Then, at the bottom right of the page, click Continue to Account Deactivation. You will be required to re-enter your Facebook password.

• Type your Facebook password and click Continue.

• Finally, on the Reason for leaving section, select This is temporary, I’ll be back. A pop up window will be displayed.

• At the pop up window, click Close. DO NOT click Log Out – this will NOT deactivate your account!

• You can temporarily deactivate your Facebook account for a maximum of 7 days (selected by default). To deactivate the account for less than 7 days, click the drop-down.

• Once you have decided how may days you wish to deactivate your account, scroll down and click Deactivate.

Option 2: Temporarily Deactivate from Android or iPhone

• Open the Facebook App on your phone.

• Then, on the top right of the App (for Android), tap the menu icon (3 lines). A set of menu options will be displayed.

• From the displayed menu options, scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy.

• When Settings & Privacy expands, tap Settings.

• Then, on the Account settings section of the page that opens, tap Personal Information.

• When your Facebook Personal Information page opens, tap Manage account.

• Then, on the Manage account page, tap Deactivate. You will be required to enter your Facebook password.

• Type your Facebook password and tap Continue.

• Finally, on the Account deactivation page, select This is temporary. I’ll be back.

• Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap Continue.

• Facebook will offer you the option to Log Out instead of Deactivating your account. DO Not tap Log Out! This will NOT deactivate your account – see the next step below…

• Scroll down to the bottom of the page, select the number of days you want to deactivate your account (maximum of 7 days) and tap Continue.

• Finally, to temporarily deactivate your Facebook account, scroll down to the bottom of Account deactivation page and tap Continue.

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