How to Deactivate Facebook Messenger

We all know Facebook’s stance on securing and respecting user Facebook data and how poor their approach.

While the Facebook Messenger app is a fantastic way to keep in touch with family and friends, it is no different when it comes to your online privacy.

It fails on security rankings, lacks encryption, and can access all your contacts, camera, and microphone. Much of this does without asking.

If you want to learn how to delete Messenger, then you can find all you need to know in this guide.

Deactivating Facebook Messenger

How to Deactivate Facebook Messenger

Deactivating Messenger is straightforward, although if your Facebook Messenger account is linked to your Facebook account? You do need to deactivate your Facebook account before you proceed.

The following guide applies to iOS and Android platforms:

  1. Open the Messenger app
  2. Click on your profile toward the top left
  3. Navigate to Legal and Policies – Deactivate Messenger
  4. Enter your password and then click Continue
  5. Tap Deactivate

Doing this won’t remove everything from Messenger. People can still see your messages and your chat history. If you were to log in, this is all it takes to reactivate your Facebook Messenger account.

Deactivating your Facebook account doesn’t automatically deactivate your Facebook Messenger account, as these are separate from each other.

It is possible to make a new messenger account by using your phone number and name rather than an existing Facebook account.

Turn Off Messenger

If you are undecided about deactivating Facebook Messenger, you can quickly learn how to disable Messenger here:

  1. Click on your profile picture to the left corner
  2. Tap on Active Status
  3. Use the toggle at the top of your screen to toggle Active Status to On or Off

Contacts will see you as inactive. It is possible to disable notifications:

  1. Head to Notifications and Sounds
  2. Toggle the Do Not Disturb status accordingly

How Can I Delete Facebook Messages

To delete messages or photos, carry out the following:

  1. Open a Messenger conversation
  2. Tap and hold the message for deletion
  3. Select Remove, then tap Remove for You. Additionally, you can select Remove for Everyone.
  4. Tap Remove.

Deleting Separate Conversations

  1. In Facebook, select the Messages icon to the top of the page
  2. Open any conversation you want to delete
  3. Select the gear icon in the chat window, and then select Delete Conversation – Delete Conversation.

Delete Conversations on Messenger

  1. Open the app
  2. Select any message and swipe left to remove it
  3. Click the trash can icon
  4. Select Delete Conversation or Delete Chat

Does Deactivating Facebook Deactivate Messenger?

To deactivate Messenger completely, you do need to delete your Facebook account so you can remove all your data.

Although, you may need to wait several months for all your data to be removed.

If using the stand-alone version of the app with no Facebook account, you can deactivate Facebook Messenger following the above points, or you can merely delete the app.

Deleting your Facebook Account

How to Delete Facebook Account

If you’re ready to go all the way and delete Facebook forever, here are the straightforward steps to permanently deleting Facebook.

  1. Navigate to the settings page, or can click the arrow to the top-right corner to access your settings.
  2. Select Your Facebook Information – Delete Your Account and Information:
  3. A page shows with suggestions on deactivating your account and downloading data. If not interested, select Delete Account.
  4. It will prompt you to enter your password. Enter and click Continue

If you change your mind and want to stop the deletion, you have a 30-day grace period where you can log into your account and then select Cancel Deletion.

If you want to proceed with deleting your Facebook account, just be patient for the next month, and then your Facebook account will be permanently erased.

Deactivate Your Facebook Account

You do have the option to deactivate Facebook and take a break. This can be ideal if you are not ready to say a final goodbye to FB, or you are still using Messenger.

Don’t forget, using this option to deactivate Facebook, all your info remains available to Facebook, and following history, you may end up the unknowing victim of massive data harvesting or another security breach. (Learn How To Delete Instagram Posts From Others)

To deactivate your FB account, do the following:

  1. Complete steps 1 and 2 from above (Select Settings – Your Facebook Information – Delete Your Account and Information)
  2. Select Deactivate Account
  3. Alternatively, head to Settings – General – Deactivate your account
  4. Add your password at the prompt, and then click Continue

To reactivate your account, all it takes is to log in to Facebook or any other of their apps and services that uses your Facebook account. You’ll be asked to enter your password, and after that, your profile is fully functional.

Conclusion

For many individuals, it can be a huge step to get rid of Messenger and Facebook in one go. Both offer a great way to keep in touch with friends or family.

However, the more you use these social media services, the more prone you are to the threats you can find in them, or from the users who use them.

There are many ways; you can tighten up your security. Alternatively, you can opt to use one of the many alternatives there are to these social platforms that will not harvest your data and use it for their purposes.

Whichever way you go, deactivating permanently or even a while is a good start to regaining your online privacy.

How to Deactivate Facebook Messenger