If you may delete Facebook or are worried about losing access, request a copy of your information while you can still sign in. Meta warns that once an account is deleted, you cannot retrieve information you added to it. Download the archive, save it somewhere outside Facebook, and check that it opens before you submit a deletion request.
Download a copy of your Facebook information
Facebook’s download tool lets you choose information categories and a date range. Meta says the option may appear in Accounts Center or in Facebook settings, and notes that the Accounts Center option is not available to everyone. Labels and locations can vary, so look for the download or access-your-information controls in either place.
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- Open the download tool. In Facebook, check Accounts Center for the information and permissions area and its download-your-information option. If it is not available there, check Facebook settings for the download or access-your-information control.
- Select the Facebook account or profile. If prompted, choose the one whose information you want to preserve.
- Choose categories and a date range. You can request all available categories or select particular ones, and set the period covered. For a broad archive before deletion, select every category offered and the broadest relevant date range available. That is a practical recommendation, not a required Meta setting; the tool’s options determine what you can request.
- Submit the request and retrieve the archive when it is ready. The sources do not establish a delivery time or how long a completed archive remains available, so do not plan around a particular turnaround or expiry period.
Do not assume every category is exportable or that every account receives an identical inventory. Meta Engineering says data logs began being included in Download Your Information in February 2024; these logs can include information about content viewed on Facebook. That dated product detail does not establish that every account’s export contains the same records. Meta Engineering explains data logs in Download Your Information.
Choose a download or a direct transfer
A downloadable archive and a transfer to another service serve different purposes. Use the archive when you want a broad record saved to your device; use transfer when you want eligible information moved directly to a supported external service. Transfer is limited to categories and destinations offered by the tool, so rely on the choices shown in your own interface. Meta’s past announcements named services for photo and video transfers, but historical destination lists are not a guarantee of current availability.
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| Route | Scope | Destination | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download information | All available categories or selected categories and date ranges | A downloaded archive on your device | Keeping a broad personal record |
| Transfer information | Only categories supported by the transfer tool | A service currently offered in the transfer interface | Moving eligible material, such as photos or videos, elsewhere |
A transfer is not a substitute for a complete downloadable archive. Meta describes the download and transfer options separately in its information access and download guidance and its information transfer guidance.
Verify and store the archive outside Facebook
Once you have the file, keep it somewhere you can access without your Facebook account. Open the archive and check that it contains files and folders you can read; do not treat a completed request alone as proof that your backup is usable. Keep a second copy of anything especially important, such as on a separate drive or in storage you control. Meta does not prescribe a storage device, and archive sizes vary, so choose storage based on the actual file rather than an assumed capacity.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Check dependencies before deleting
Deactivation and deletion are different: deactivation is temporary, while deletion is intended to be permanent once the process completes. Messages you sent to other people may remain visible to them even after deletion. Deleting Facebook can also affect services connected to the account, including apps and sites where you use Facebook Login and Meta Quest access or information. Review those dependencies and any other profiles affected before confirming. Meta’s Facebook account deletion guidance describes the consequences; its cancellation period is limited and varies by region, so export before submitting a deletion request rather than relying on a later cancellation opportunity.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIf you may lose access because your account was hacked
Try to recover the account before expecting to export its information. Meta directs people with hacked accounts to facebook.com/hacked, ideally from a device they have used to log in before. The recovery guidance does not promise that you can create an export before access is restored, so prioritize regaining access and request the download once you can sign in.
Quick Recap
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Rank #4
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