Can I Delete Facebook but Keep Messenger? What Facebook Says

Plenty of people want to step away from the Facebook feed but still chat with family, a club or a few clients on Messenger. It's a very sensible thing to want, and the answer isn't quite the one most people hope for. Delete and deactivate are two different buttons, and only one of them leaves Messenger working.

I went through Facebook's help centre to get the details straight. Here's what it says, the steps to take, and the things worth sorting out before you click anything.

Deleting Facebook while keeping Messenger: the short answer

According to Facebook's help centre, if you permanently delete your Facebook profile, you'll no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger. So you can't delete Facebook and carry on with Messenger. What you can do is temporarily deactivate your profile, and Facebook says that route keeps Messenger available.

Why deactivating Facebook keeps Messenger working

Facebook's help pages describe what happens when you temporarily deactivate your profile:

• People can't see your timeline or search for you on Facebook.
• Your photos, posts and videos aren't deleted.
• You can still use Facebook Messenger.
• You can reactivate whenever you want.

There's a catch for privacy-minded people. Facebook says some information, such as messages you sent to friends, may still be visible, and your friends may still see your name in their friends list, though only from that list. Group admins may also still be able to see your posts and comments, along with your name.

How to deactivate your Facebook profile on a computer

Facebook's settings may not look the same for everyone, and the help centre gives two versions of the steps depending on what you see at the bottom of Accounts Centre. Start with these shared steps:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select Settings and privacy, then click Settings.
3. Click Accounts Centre in the top left of your screen.

Then follow whichever matches your screen:

• If you see Manage accounts at the bottom: click Manage accounts, click Manage next to the profile you want to deactivate, then click Deactivation or deletion.
• If you see Accounts at the bottom: click Personal details, then Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.

In both cases, choose the account or profile to deactivate, select Deactivate account, click Continue, and follow the instructions to confirm. Make sure you pick deactivate and not delete.

Staying on Messenger after you deactivate Facebook

The help centre says that if you choose to keep Messenger active, or you're logged in to Messenger when you deactivate your Facebook account, then Messenger will remain active. When your Facebook account is deactivated but you still have Messenger, the help pages say:

• You can still chat with friends on Messenger.
• Your Facebook profile picture is still visible in your conversations.
• Other people can search for you to send you a message.
• Parental supervision isn't available.

Using Messenger won't reactivate your Facebook account, and your friends can still message you. If you're curious how read receipts behave there, I've covered whether Facebook has read receipts in a separate guide.

What a Deactivated Except Messenger Account means

You may see the abbreviation DEMA. Facebook's help centre calls it a Deactivated Except Messenger Account: you create a Facebook account, then deactivate it and log in to Messenger with your Facebook account information. With a DEMA you can still chat with friends, your picture is visible in your conversations, others can search for you in Messenger and message you, and you won't be searchable on Facebook. You'll have a deactivated Facebook profile you can activate at any time.

Facebook adds that you'll need to confirm your birthday and may be asked to create a password for account security. Everything on screen after that is Facebook's flow, so follow the prompts in the app, as menus vary by app version.

What you lose when you delete Facebook for good

Here's the other side, in case you were weighing it up. The help centre says that if you permanently delete your profile:

• You won't be able to reactivate it.
• Your photos, posts, videos and everything else you've added are permanently deleted and can't be retrieved.
• You'll no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.
• You won't be able to use Facebook Login for other apps you signed up for with Facebook, and you may need to contact those apps to recover the accounts.
• Some information, such as messages you sent to friends, may still be visible to them, because copies are stored in your friends' inboxes.

If you change your mind, Facebook says you can cancel a deletion by logging in within 30 days of starting it and clicking Cancel deletion, although the number of days varies by region. It can take up to 90 days to delete everything you've posted from the start of the process. Before you go ahead, you may want to export your photos and posts, because nothing can be retrieved afterwards. If you're not ready for that, my notes on finding archived Facebook posts might help you tidy up without deleting.

	Deactivate	Delete
Messenger	Still works	Stops working
Reactivating	Anytime	Not possible
Your posts and photos	Kept, but hidden	Permanently deleted

Pages and business accounts before you deactivate or delete Facebook

If you run a business, check this before anything else. Facebook's help pages say Pages that only you control will also be deactivated, or deleted if you delete your profile. People can't see a deactivated Page or find it in search. If you don't want your Page affected, give someone else full control of it first, and then you can deactivate or delete your profile without touching the Page.

Deactivating Messenger later on

If you want to switch Messenger off too, Facebook says you have to deactivate your Facebook account first, and the Messenger steps can only be done on a mobile device. In the Messenger app on iPhone or Android, tap Menu, then Settings, then Accounts Centre, Personal details, Account ownership and control, and Deactivation or deletion. To reactivate Messenger, log in with your username and password.

If someone's harassing you on Messenger, deactivating isn't the only answer: report them to Facebook, and if you're ever in danger, contact the police.

If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I delete Facebook but keep Messenger?

No. Facebook says that if you permanently delete your profile you'll no longer be able to use Messenger. You can deactivate your Facebook profile instead, which keeps Messenger available.

What's the difference between deactivating and deleting Facebook?

Deactivating hides your profile and you can reactivate whenever you want. Deleting is permanent: you can't reactivate, and your content is deleted.

Will my Facebook profile picture still show on Messenger?

Yes. Facebook says your profile picture is still visible in your conversations when your Facebook account is deactivated.

Can I get my Facebook account back after deleting it?

Only if you cancel within 30 days of starting the deletion, and Facebook says the number of days varies by region.

Does deactivating Facebook affect my Page?

Yes. Facebook says Pages only you control are deactivated too. Give someone else full control first if you want the Page to stay.