With so much news being shared across social media channels you might be interested in how to delete Facebook and other social media accounts from your life to break away from the influx of information flooding your newsfeeds altogether.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently addressed a scandal regarding privacy issues on the social media network after the news broke that Facebook exposed the data on 50 million users to British consulting company Cambridge Analytica, which worked for the Trump campaign.
Despite Zuckerberg’s public apology for compromising the public’s trust, the recent Facebook scandal has many concerned about the information they see and share on Facebook and other social media networks.
If you think you need a break from social media, or if you’ve found yourself addicted to the apps on your phone, we’re going to show you how to permanently delete Facebook and other popular social media accounts such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Periscope from your life.
Delete Facebook account
Many users deactivate their Facebook account when they just want to take a break from the social media network.
Deactivate Facebook
Click the downward facing triangle at the top right of any Facebook page. Select Settings. Click General in the left column.
Choose Manage your account and then scroll down to click Deactivate your account.
Download copy of your Facebook data
There are some people who have reached the point where deleting their Facebook account completely is the better option. If you’re interested in permanently deleting your Facebook account, you may want to first download a copy of your Facebook data before doing so.
Click downward facing triangle at the top right of any Facebook page.
Select Settings
Below General Account Settings, click Download a copy of your Facebook data
This feature is handy even if you don’t plan to deactivate or permanently delete your Facebook account. It gives you the option to create an archive of everything you’ve shared on Facebook, especially your photos and videos.
Permanently delete Facebook account
If you’re ready to permanently delete Facebook, visit this link to read helpful information about your Facebook account. If you want to go directly to the Facebook deletion page, visit https://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account.
How to delete Instagram account
To delete your Instagram account you must login to your account on a web browser. Like Facebook, you can also temporarily disable your account if you just want to take a break from Instagram.
Login to your Instagram account through a web browser on a computer.
On the top right of your screen, click the icon that is the shape of a person.
Click Edit Profile.
Scroll down and click Temporarily disable my account. Follow the instructions on the page. According to Instagram, all your photos, comments and likes will be hidden until you reactivate your account. To reactivate your account, you simply log back in.
How to download all your Instagram content
Instagram doesn’t currently have a feature to allow users to download all of their content, but with the help of third-party browser extensions and websites, you can do so with a click of a button. If you use the Chrome browser you can add the extension InstaG Downloader to download your photos and videos from your account. There’s also an option to download all of your content at once. There are other extensions that do the same thing if you browse the Chrome web store.
Permanently delete Instagram account
To delete your Instagram account permanently, make sure you’re logged in and then visit https://www.instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/. Follow the instructions on the page and you’re good to go.
Delete Twitter account
Before deleting or deactivating your Twitter account you should first download your Twitter archive so you can have all of your tweets you ever posted from day one.
Download Twitter archive
Click on Profile and Settings
Click Request your archive and Twitter will email you a link for you to download a .zip file of your entire archive.
Deactivate, Delete Twitter account
If you want to take a break from Twitter, you can also deactivate your account by clicking on your profile icon (Profile and Settings) on the top right.
NOTE: If you deactivate your Twitter account, you will have 30 days before it is permanently deleted. If you’re interested in permanently deleting your Twitter account, you have to wait 30 days before Twitter permanently removes your data. It’s up to you to keep track of how much time you have left just in case you want to change your mind.
Delete Snapchat
If you’ve tried Snapchat and realize it’s just not for you, you can easily delete your account.
Open the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
Click on your profile icon in the top corner of the app.
Go to Settings located in the top-right corner of the app.
Look for Support, which is located under More Information.
After clicking Support, enter “Delete my account” in the search bar.
Follow the instructions and you are on your way to deleting your Snapchat account. Similarly to Twitter, you have 30 days to change your mind. After 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted.
Delete Periscope
At some point you may have downloaded Periscope to watch live stream video of events or interact with people new people abroad. If you’ve had enough of the live streaming app and want to delete your account, you need to contact Periscope via email. To delete your account, email help@periscope.tv with the subject line “Delete Account.” Make sure you include your Periscope username, the email or phone number associated with the account. If you want to disconnect your Twitter account from your Periscope account, you can edit that information in your Periscope settings through the app.
