How to delete your Facebook account while keeping the data
What's the story
Deleting a Facebook account can be a major step toward reclaiming online privacy and decluttering the digital space.
However, many users shy away from this move due to the fear of losing years of photos, messages, and posts.
Thankfully, Facebook offers an option to download all this data before permanently deleting an account.
This way, you can create an archive of your information on your PCs.
Step #1
How to download Facebook data
To start downloading your Facebook data, log into your account with your username and password.
Then, click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the page.
From there, select 'Settings & Privacy' and then 'Settings.'
On the left-hand menu, click on 'Your information.' Then, click on 'Download your information.'
Step #2
Selecting data for download
After clicking on 'Download your information,' follow the steps to see a list of all types of data available for download. This includes photos, videos, posts, comments, likes and more.
You can select specific data or choose to download everything.
Just make sure to select the appropriate date range, format (HTML or JSON), and media quality before proceeding.
Step #3
Creating and downloading the data file
After making your selections, click 'Create files.'
Facebook will start creating a file with your data. This may take a while, depending on how much information you have.
Once the file is ready for download, Facebook will notify you. You can access it from the 'Available Files' tab on the 'Download Your Information' page.
Click 'Download' and save it on your computer/external storage for safekeeping.
Step #4
Reviewing downloaded data and account deletion
Once you have downloaded your data, it is important to check the files to make sure everything important is there. This is because once your account is deleted, you won't be able to use Facebook's data recovery options.
If you are ready to delete your account permanently, head back to 'Settings & Privacy' > 'Settings' > 'Personal Details' in Accounts Centre.
Now, click on 'Account ownership and control,' select 'Deactivation and Deletion,' and choose 'Delete Account' and follow on-screen instructions.