Deleting and deactivating Facebook / Instagram accounts
Sometimes the only way to “reset” your digital footprint is to deactivate your Facebook account or delete it entirely. Yet many users confuse “temporary disable” with full erasure of data. Below you’ll find a detailed guide on how to temporarily disable a Facebook account, delete a Facebook account or Business Manager objects without leftovers, and when it’s faster to buy a Facebook account instead of running through a multi-step recovery.
Temporary Deactivation vs Permanent Deletion: Which to Choose
The option how to deactivate an account on Facebook sits under Settings → Your Information → Access and Control. Deactivation hides the profile yet keeps the data; you can restore it any time—perfect if you just need a break.
Full deletion (how to close an account on Facebook) is launched from the same menu, but Meta keeps the data for 30 days in case you change your mind. Instagram works similarly: once you confirm deletion, the account is wiped after 30 days and all posts/messages are gone forever.
How long until an Instagram account is deleted?—exactly 30 days after you confirm your password, but a backup may stay in Meta’s safety archive up to 90 days. Therefore, if you plan to return, pick “temporarily disable Facebook account” and the equivalent option in IG.
How to Delete a Business Account or BM Cleanly
You can’t simply “close a Facebook account” by clicking Delete if it’s tied to Business Manager: first pause ads, un-link pages, and remove payment methods. Step-by-step:
- Go to Business Settings → Business Info.
- Click Permanently Delete Business and confirm via e-mail.
- In Ad Accounts be sure to deactivate the ad account, or you’ll hit the notorious disabled BM error.
- Wait out Meta’s 24-hour grace period—after that every business asset is wiped.
For a truly clean slate, also remove pixels and catalogs; otherwise they remain “orphaned” in Ads Manager and can trigger blocks when you create a new BM.
Purging Data in the Meta Accounts Center
The Facebook Accounts Center unifies FB, Instagram, and Threads. Here you manage logins, payments, and content transfers. To erase your “digital trace”:
- Open Settings → Accounts Center → Your Information & Permissions.
- Under Data Deletion download an archive, then clear payment history.
- Disable auto-login sync—otherwise a new sign-in may resurrect the profile even after deletion.
Check the Accounts Center for connected apps; revoking their tokens prevents shadow profiles from being recreated via OAuth.
When It’s Easier to Buy a New Account Instead of Recovering
Searches for “can I restore a deleted Facebook account” spike after waves of political bans. Reality check: if more than 30 days have passed since deletion, or the account is flagged for Child Safety / Terrorism, restoration is impossible. In that case media-buyers prefer to buy a Facebook account with a ready BM limit: a “live” auto-reg starts at ≈ $3, a hand-farmed profile at ≈ $15—saving days of warm-up. Before purchase review IP/geo logs and age to buy Facebook accounts that will pass selfie-check without rejection.
Bottom line. Use deactivation for a temporary break; if you’re leaving for good, delete via Accounts Center and wait 30 days. Only delete a business account after wiping payment methods. And when recovery is impossible—or not worth the hassle—it’s cheaper to buy a fresh profile and start from scratch.