How to Deactivate Facebook on iPhone

This article explains how to temporarily deactivate your Facebook account on an iPhone. It also outlines the key differences between deactivating and deleting.

How to Temporarily Deactivate Facebook Using the iPhone App

If you're using iPhone, deactivating your Facebook profile is just a few simple steps, then if you change your mind, you can always reactivate it later.

1. Start the Facebook app on your iPhone and tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right of the screen. Facebook's menu will appear. 

2. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. 

3. In the Your Facebook Information section, tap Account Ownership and Control. 

4. On the Account Ownership and Control page, tap Deactivation and Deletion.

   

5. Tap Deactivate Account and then tap Continue to Account Deactivation. 

6. From the list of reasons, choose why you want to deactivate your account, and then tap Continue. Confirm this is what you really want to do, and your account will be deactivated until you choose to log back in using the app or in a web browser. 

Deactivate Facebook Using the Safari Mobile Browser 

The process for deactivating using a mobile browser is similar to doing so from the iOS app.

1. Open Facebook in Safari and then tap the three horizontal lines at the top right of the browser. Scroll down and tap Settings.

2. In the Your Facebook Information section, tap Account Ownership and Control. 

3. On the Account Ownership and Control page, tap Deactivation and Deletion.

   

4. Tap Deactivate Account and then tap Continue to Account Deactivation. 

5. In the list of reasons, tap one to choose why you want to deactivate your account, and then tap Continue. Confirm this is what you really want to do, and your account will be deactivated until you choose to log back in using the app or in a web browser. 

The Difference Between Deactivating and Deleting Facebook

Facebook gives you two options for stopping your Facebook account: You can deactivate your account or delete it, and you can do either of these from the comfort of your iPhone. But how are they different? Here's the scoop:

• Deactivating Facebook. Deactivating your Facebook account is considered a temporary step because it's possible to reactive it. This is handy if you want to take a break from Facebook for some period of time, or if you’re considering deleting your account completely but haven't yet decided for sure. When you deactivate your account, all your posts and photos will go offline and won't be available to other people (though your messages will remain visible to people whom you've messaged). If you reactivate your account, everything will reappear. 
• Deleting Facebook. We're not talking about deleting the app. If you do that, your account remains, unaffected. Instead, if you delete your Facebook account, this permanently and irrevocably deletes everything, including posts, photos, and messages. Facebook waits 30 days in case you change your mind, but after that, you'll need to create a new account if you want to return to Facebook.