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Freedom251 › Blog › account deletion

How to Download Your Facebook and Instagram Data Before Deleting Your Accounts

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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Request and save a copy of the information you want before deleting a Facebook or Instagram account. Instagram says its export tool is no longer available after deletion, and Facebook recommends downloading your information first. In Meta’s settings, look for Accounts Center and the current Your information and permissions or Download your information controls. Menu labels can vary by account, app and region.

Download a copy of your Facebook or Instagram information first

Meta groups information review, download and transfer controls in its account settings. Facebook lets you request all available information categories or choose specific categories and date ranges; available choices depend on the account and current interface. See Facebook’s information download guidance and Meta’s information transfer guidance.

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  1. Open Facebook or Instagram settings and look for Accounts Center.
  2. Open Your information and permissions, or the current control for downloading or transferring information.
  3. Select the Facebook or Instagram account or profile you want, then follow the on-screen instructions. Request a download to your device or choose a transfer destination if the option is available.
  4. Choose the categories and date range you need. If Meta offers file-format or download-location choices, check them on the request screen; these options can change.
  5. Save the archive somewhere you control and confirm that it opens before you start account deletion.

Meta’s Facebook help page documents category and date-range choices. A 2025 Associated Press explainer also describes interface choices such as format and download location, but the live request screen is the best guide to what is currently offered for your account. Do not assume every Instagram account has the same labels or export options.

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Deactivate or delete: choose the right action

What changes Deactivate Delete
Reversibility Temporary; Facebook says you can reactivate your account. Intended to be permanent once Meta completes deletion; Facebook says the account cannot then be reactivated.
Profile and existing content Facebook says the profile is hidden, but photos, posts and videos are not deleted. Facebook says account information is permanently deleted after the cancellation period, subject to stated timing and retention exceptions. Instagram identifies profile details, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers as material removed.
Connected services Depends on the account and service. Facebook deletion can end Messenger and Facebook Login access and may affect Meta Quest information. Instagram deletion removes the selected Instagram account and its listed content.
Cancellation Facebook says the account can be reactivated. Facebook says its cancellation window is 30 days, while noting that the period varies by region. The cited timing should not be assumed to apply to Instagram.

Meta recommends temporary deactivation if you only want a break. Read Facebook’s deactivation and deletion guidance and Instagram’s account-deletion guidance before choosing.

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Delete a Facebook account

Meta documents this route through Accounts Center. The labels or placement may differ slightly in your version of Facebook.

  1. Select your profile picture, then open Settings and privacy and Settings.
  2. Open Accounts Center, then Personal details.
  3. Select Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.
  4. Select the Facebook account or profile you intend to remove, choose Delete account, and continue through the confirmation prompts.

If that route is unavailable, Facebook lists an alternate path: Settings → Your Facebook information → Deactivation and deletion → Delete account. Follow the current prompts to confirm. See Meta’s Facebook deletion instructions.

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Delete an Instagram account

Instagram’s help guidance confirms that deletion can be started through account ownership and control in Accounts Center, but its exact English menu wording is not established across all regions and interfaces. In Instagram settings, look for Accounts Center, then Personal details and Account ownership and control, and follow the current Deactivation or deletion prompts if shown. Select the Instagram account you mean to delete, not another account listed in Accounts Center. If the labels differ, use the current Instagram Help Center deletion instructions.

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What happens after you request deletion

Facebook’s cancellation and removal periods

Facebook Help Center says that after 30 days the account and all its information will be permanently deleted and cannot be retrieved. It also says the number of days during which deletion can be cancelled varies by region. Facebook says removing everything posted may take up to 90 days from the beginning of the deletion process. These are Facebook’s stated periods, not a universal Instagram timetable. Meta notes that copies may remain in backups after that period and that information can be retained for legal issues, terms violations or harm prevention. See Facebook’s deletion guidance.

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Canceling a Facebook deletion request

Meta says you can cancel a Facebook deletion request by logging in during the applicable cancellation window. If you are certain you want deletion, avoid logging back in until you have checked the current cancellation instructions for your account and region. Facebook’s cancellation guidance explains the process.

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Check connected accounts and services before confirming

Accounts Center can include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Meta accounts, but having accounts together there does not mean deleting one automatically deletes the others. The deletion flow asks you to select the account or profile, so check that selection carefully. Meta describes Accounts Center and connected experiences in its Accounts Center help.

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  • Messenger: Facebook deletion ends access to Messenger through that Facebook account.
  • Apps that use Facebook Login: You may lose access through Facebook Login. Arrange another sign-in method with those services first.
  • Meta Quest: If you use Facebook to access Quest, Meta warns that Quest information, app purchases and achievements may also be lost.
  • Messages you sent: Copies may remain in recipients’ inboxes after your Facebook account is deleted.

These consequences are described in Facebook’s deletion help and Meta’s account-deletion cancellation and effects guidance. Deleting the Facebook or Instagram app from a phone only removes the app from that device; it does not submit an account-deletion request.

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