- Where Facebook keeps the download your information tool
- Downloading your Facebook data to your phone or computer
- Choosing HTML or JSON for your Facebook download
- Picking the date range and media quality for a Facebook export
- Sending your Facebook data to another service
- When your Facebook download is ready
- Downloading Facebook data from a deactivated or second profile
- If your Facebook data export won't start
- Keeping your Facebook account safe while you download
- Frequently asked questions
To download your Facebook data, go to Settings, then Accounts Centre, Your information and permissions, and Export your information. Tap Create export, choose Export to device, pick a format and date range, then start. The detail people miss: once the file is ready, you've only got four days to download it before you'd need a new export.
Years of photos, posts, messages and comments live inside your Facebook account, and most of us never think about keeping a copy until we need one. Maybe you're closing an account, switching to a new phone, or you simply want a backup of the photos from your children's early years. Whatever the reason, Facebook lets you export a copy of your information, and it's worth doing before you make any big changes.
For small business owners, it's also a sensible habit. If you've run promotions, answered customers or posted product photos from a personal profile, a download gives you a record you control. Here's how Facebook's help centre says to do it, and what to choose on each screen.
Where Facebook keeps the download your information tool
The export tool lives in Accounts Centre, which Facebook uses to manage settings across its apps. On some screens you'll see it called Meta Account settings instead. The path is the same on the app and on a computer:
- Open Facebook and go to Menu, then Settings and privacy, then Settings.
- Tap or click Accounts Centre (or Meta Account settings).
- Select Your information and permissions.
- Choose Export your information.
Downloading your Facebook data to your phone or computer
Once you're on the export screen, Facebook's help lists these steps for saving a file to your own device:
- Tap Create export.
- Select the profile you'd like to export, then tap Next.
- Choose Export to device.
- Pick the information you'd like, the date range, the format, the email address for your notification and the media quality.
- Tap Start export.
You'll be asked for your password, and Facebook's help says you may need to complete extra verification steps before the download begins. That's there to protect you, since the file holds a lot of personal information.
Choosing HTML or JSON for your Facebook download
This is the choice that confuses most people. Facebook's help explains the difference simply:
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| HTML | Reading your information yourself. It opens in a web browser like a mini website. |
| JSON | Moving your information into another service. It's a machine-readable format. |
If you just want to look back through old posts and photos, pick HTML. If you're moving to another app that asks for a Facebook import, JSON is usually what it wants. You can always run a second export later in the other format.
Picking the date range and media quality for a Facebook export
A full export of a long-standing account can be big. A few tips before you hit start:
- Choose only the categories you need. Photos and videos make the file much larger than posts and comments.
- Use the date range if you're after one period, such as the years you ran a business page from your profile.
- Higher media quality keeps photos sharper but makes the download bigger. Pick a lower setting if you're short on storage.
Sending your Facebook data to another service
Instead of a file on your device, you can send your information straight to another service. Facebook's help says you choose Export to external service, pick the service, connect to it, set how often you'd like the export to run and enter your password. That's handy for moving photos into a cloud storage account without downloading anything yourself. Only connect services you already use and trust.
When your Facebook download is ready
Facebook prepares the file in the background and lets you know when it's done. Then the clock starts. Facebook's help says you'll have four days to download your information in the Available downloads section. If you miss that window, you can simply start a new export.
Save the file somewhere safe, such as an encrypted drive or a password-protected folder. It holds your messages, contacts and photos, so treat it as carefully as you'd treat the account itself.
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Downloading Facebook data from a deactivated or second profile
Two situations trip people up:
- Deactivated or scheduled for deletion. Facebook's help says a deactivated profile has to be reactivated before you can export its information, and a profile scheduled for deletion needs the deletion cancelled first.
- More than one profile. Facebook's help says information from additional profiles, including ads information, can only be exported through your main profile.
If you're planning to delete your account, download first, then delete. It's much easier than reactivating later just to get a copy.
If your Facebook data export won't start
- Check you entered your current password. Facebook asks for it, and sometimes extra verification, before the download begins.
- Make sure the profile is active, not deactivated or waiting to be deleted.
- If you're trying to export a second profile, start from your main profile instead.
- If the link has expired, go back to Export your information and create a fresh export.
Keeping your Facebook account safe while you download
Because the export holds so much, it's a target for scammers. Don't send your file to anyone who asks for it, and never enter your password on a page that came from a message or email you didn't expect. If something about your account feels wrong, such as posts you didn't make, my guide on how to tell if your Facebook account was hacked explains what to check first.
If you're only after one old post rather than a full backup, it's often quicker to find your archived Facebook posts directly in the app.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I download my Facebook data?
Go to Settings, then Accounts Centre, Your information and permissions, and Export your information. Tap Create export, choose your profile, select Export to device, pick your options and tap Start export.
How long does my Facebook download stay available?
Facebook's help says that once your export is ready, you'll have four days to download it from the Available downloads section.
Should I choose HTML or JSON?
Choose HTML if you'd like to read your information in a web browser. Choose JSON if you're moving it into another service, since it's machine-readable.
Can I download data from a deactivated Facebook account?
Not straight away. Facebook's help says you need to reactivate the profile first, or cancel a scheduled deletion, before exporting its information.
Is it safe to download my Facebook information?
Yes, through Facebook's own Accounts Centre. Keep the file somewhere secure, since it holds your messages, photos and contacts.
