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How To Delete And Start Your Facebook From Scratch PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jack Cola   

imageEarlier this year, I went through my Facebook Profile and read all the status updates and comments I have posted way back in 2006 when I first joined Facebook. Reading back 4+ years, I was really embarrassed in what some of the things I said. I wanted it gone and removed. I started deleting some things, but found it near impossible to delete all this information, so I decided to delete my Facebook account and start again from scratch. In doing so, their are a few things that you need watch out for to make the process clean and easy as Facebook makes it somewhat difficult to delete your profile. To help you out, I have put together this brief tutorial on how you can delete your Facebook account and start again.

By following this tutorial, you will be able to use your same email address, Facebook username, and password, but you will lose everything such as status updates, posts, comments, pictures and friends.

 

Before You Begin

Before you being, I must stress, that you will lose all your friends you have and everyone will need to re-add you or re-confirm your friendship. Some people may or may not want to re-add you back as a friend on Facebook, so just be careful. I would also take note of all your friends you have to make it easier to remember who to add.

I would also tell your friends that you are deleting your account, so if they get another friend request from you, they will know it’s not a fake. Or they may ask you questions why you deleted them in the first place.

Update: If your account is the administrator of any groups, or pages, it is highly recommended that you that there is someone else who is the admin of that page or group, so they can re-assign you as an administrator (and so your page doesn't get deleted). If you are the only admin for your page or group, get someone you trust to become an administrator temporarily.

I must also warn you that you complete these steps at your own risk, because you may lose important information such as your applications and games, ad's, credits, and other important account information that is not covered in the scope of this tutorial. If you do run into trouble, contact me and I will try my best to help you out.

WARNING: FOLLOWING THESE STEPS WILL COMPLETELY WIPE YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT DELETING ALL YOUR FRIENDS, POSTS, AND COMMENTS. THERE IS NO WAY TO UNDO THIS ACTION!

Step 1: Know The Difference Between Delete And Deactivate

It’s important to note the difference between the two, and I have previously written a post about the difference and how you go about the deleting and deactivating your account. In this tutorial, you are going to delete your account – but don’t do it just yet, just read and understand the difference.

 

Step 2: Backup Your Facebook Account

When I deleted my Facebook account, I didn’t have the option to backup and download my Facebook information. So before you delete your account (where everything you publish on Facebook will be lost forever), you are first going to backup your data. To do this, click on “learn more” in your Account Settings next to “Download your information”. You can access your Account Settings by visiting https://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php

image

You will then be presented a number of steps and security measures before you can download your profile.

Once you have downloaded your information, continue to Step 3.

 

Step 3: Change Your Email Address, Password, And Username

This is a crucial step, because if you don’t do this, you won’t be able to use Facebook for at least two weeks using the same login details. Back in your Account Settings, first of all, change your email address to another email address that you have. We are doing this, so you will be able to instantly signup with your same email address later on in Step 5. Also change your password and username. It is also important to do these so you can keep your originally Facebook username (I.e. www.facebook.com/yourprofileusername) and to stop other devices such as your mobile phone or laptop accidently logging in to your account and stopping the deletion process. Once you have done all this, continue to Step 4.

image

Update: A commenter mentioned, that there is a Facebook FAQ stating that usernames cannot be transferred between accounts, so the changing your username step may no longer work, so try this at your own risk.

 

Step 4: Delete Your Account

Now that you have backed up your profile, have changed your email address, password, username, and told your friends you are deleting your account, you can now finally go through the deletion process.

To delete your account, click on https://ssl.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account and follow the process. I won’t explain it step by step because I don’t want to delete my Facebook account. But it will take at least 2 weeks for it to be fully deleted. Do make sure you read each step carefully.

Step 5: Sign Back Up To Facebook

Now it’s time to sign back up to Facebook. You should be able to simply register your account using your original email address and password because we changed it in Step 3. Once you have confirmed your account, you can follow Facebook’s basic instructions, re-add the information to your Wall and Profile and re-add all your friends.

Just a tip, you may not be able to register your username straight away. It took me a couple of weeks before I could re-register my old username.

Step 6: Your Done

So once you have added all your friends again, you have now successfully started your Facebook account from scratch. You may want to read how I protect my personal and online identity so people like future employers don’t read the naughty things you get up to. Another thing I regularly do is delete any status updates and comments I post, so I don’t have to do this again in another 4 years. If I maintain it now, it makes it easier later on.

If you need some assistance, I am happy to help you out. Just leave your message in the comments.

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Comments (57)
  • Kelli  - Posts
    I am so thankful I found your tutorial on deleting facebook and starting off clean. I want to be sure though - will it delete every comment on every photo and wall I've ever written on? I hope so. Please let me know. Thank you for all the information.
  • Jack Cola
    Hi Kelli,
    I am glade that you found the post useful.

    There is no clear information about if Facebook really does delete your content, however, I can say this.

    1. Comments you wrote, will no longer be accessible on the site. It will delete all comments off your friends posts. This happens when you both deactivate, and delete your Facebook account. Saying this, it the comments may still be archived on the Facebook servers, or in emails through notification friends may have received.

    2. For pictures, they can remain on the Facebook servers for up to 2 years, however, I don't believe they are viewable by people.

    3. Basically, by deleting your account, your footprint (Ie everything you do on Facebook) will be removed and not available on the site. However, there may be archived copies (not available to anyone) still remaining on the servers, and email notifications of your comments made that have been received by your friends (or friends of friends).

    I hope this clears things up.
  • rachael hester  - pictures
    so when im creating my new facebook how will i get all the pictures back on there. i have ALOT of them.. i dont want my pictures to be gone. :(
  • Jack Cola
    Hi Rachael,
    By following the above method, all your photo's will be removed. There are some Firefox extensions that can mass save your photo's, or you can download your Facebook profile as a backup.

    But if you go ahead with this, all your information will be deleted from Facebook.
  • Slindile  - Thanks it really helped
    Thanks it reallyu helped
  • clive  - delete or restart
    can i just start a new facebook and leave the old stuff there?
    then just remove some bits i wont to remove from the old one.
    I just want to stop my old work colleagues getting my updates all the time?
  • Jack Cola
    There's nothing physically stopping you creating another Facebook account and leaving the old one their, but why would you if you are going to delete what you don't want anyway. The idea of this post is to save you time and ensuring your delete everything.

    If you don't want your old work colleagues getting updates, then put them in a list, and make sure that list doesn't have access to your wall posts - it's that simple.
  • Anonymous  - I CANT RENAME MY ACCOUNT
    IT SAYS I HAVE TO RENAME IT TO PHONE #..DO U MEAN RENAME ACCOUNT OR USER NAME? I DID CHANGE EMAIL & PASSWORD EXCEPT THAT ONE..I GOT PROFILE DOWNLOAD TOO..THEN I DEACTIVATE..NOTHING HAPPEN ..SAMO PAGE..THEN I CLICKED DELETE ACCOUNT & IT SAYS TAKES 2 WEEKS TO DO SO..BUT I CAN STILL GO ON??? SO AFTER 2 WEEKS & ITS DELETED CAN I STILL LOG ON TO THAT NAME WITH MY NEW PASS & EMAIL??? OR DID I LOSE EVERTHING???WHY DO I NEED THE PROFILE DOWNLOAD U NEVER SAID..THAT I SAW????PLEASE HELP ME I LIKE TO CLEAR ALL MY POSTS OUT & EMAILS & 1500 FREINDS THATS WHY IM DOING THIS..THANKS...
  • Jack Cola
    Hi,
    First of all, if you want more assistance, don't write in caps, and try to write in a more logical manner.

    It says change your email address, password and account username, so you don't accidently login within the 2 week period, and so you can create another account using those details. Because if you don't change it, it will come up with an error saying your email address is already in used, so you would have to wait 2 weeks before you can use Facebook.

    So if you change your email address, password, username, you can recreate another Facebook account and still use Facebook from a new account.

    If you logon with your old account details, you'll stop and reset the deletion process.

    By doing these steps, you WILL lose everything, and you WILL start from scratch.
  • Kristen  - Pending
    After you start the download, it says you will recieve an email when it was ready.. How long did that take for you to get the email? Its been standing idle for probably 30 mins now and it says "Pending" on facebook and I dont have an email yet. Should i retry? or just wait?
  • Jack Cola
    Hi Kristen,
    That depends how much information you have on your Facebook account. For example, if you have 1000 photo's and status updates for 3-4 years, it will take much longer than someone with an account just started and only a few photo's.

    If you don't get one in a day, make sure you check your spam box, or try and re-download your information again.

    But it is a behind the scene process, so you don't have to wait on the screen.
  • James
    Thanks for the information.

    As you've already done this I was wondering about the username process since Facebook states in the FAQ (http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=15087) that it isn't made available for a new account for security reasons. Does changing it prior to deletion free it up?
  • Jack Cola
    Hi James,
    Thanks for that link. I am not sure when that was added, because I did the exact steps I mentioned above, and I kept my username. Maybe they have changed the process?

    Then again, it might be a small bug. Since your email address is the same for the account, it may let you have it again? Who knows. But I couldn't tell you the exact answer. I will update the post to reflect this.
  • Ava  - apps
    Would all your app data be lost also?
  • Jack Cola
    Yes, Application data will be lost as well.
  • AYYO MEE  - FACEBOOK IS COMPLICATED SOMETIMES.! JUST HAVE A DE
    WELL THAT WAS ALOT TO READ HONESTLY I JUST SCROLLED DOWN

    FACE BOOK JUST NEEDS TO HAVE A DELETE ALL BUTTON.!!!!!!!!
  • Jack Cola
    They do (As in they do need to just have a delete button that's easily accessible, and They Do as they actually do, but it's hard to find)
  • anas  - Thank you
    It was very helpful thank you very much
    P.S can you please provide how to hide friends and this stuff like example no one can write on wall , and no one can see the wall post somehting like How I Protect My Personal and Online Identity , but for visibility
    again thank you very much :D
  • Jack Cola
    Hi,

    Facebook provides all this information to you, but I do see it can be quite annoying. With the new Privacy Changes Facebook has only introduced in the last few days, you can specifically write posts that go to different friend lists.

    Put all these settings can be done in the privacy section on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy
  • Anonymous  - fuck u
    your method doesn't work asshole, go pop a balloon with your pin-dick smart ass
  • Jack Cola
    The method did work when I wrote it 8 months ago, and you know Facebook likes to change things. That's why I stated in bold "use at your own risk"

    If you need help with fixing it, let me know and I will try my best to help you out.
  • Anonymous
    With all the recent and pending changes to FB, do you think this process still works?
  • Jack Cola
    I would think most of the above steps would work. The only thing I have doubt on is whether or not you can get the same username as I could before.

    But if someone does these steps, please let me know, and others the outcome - I don't have a FB account I want to start from scratch again, so I can't really test it.
  • Kat T
    Is there a way to delete all the content off my wall but keep my account? Im googling the hell out of this, but having no luck!
  • Jack Cola
    Sorry, but I think you are out of luck.

    The only way I know of (apart from doing the above) is to one by one delete every comment and status update.

    There might be an app that does it for you, but I doubt it - I would have heard of it by now, plus Facebook would probably block it anyway.
  • Anonymous  - Help me
    Hello Jack Cola i was wondering if you method still works because i really want to delete my facebook and start of fresh... :(
  • Jack Cola
    Hi,
    To be totally honest, I can't tell you whether or not this works, because I don't have a Facebook Account to try it on. However, I might get around to re-verifying this post.
  • Mandy
    Hi Jack,

    This is a good option.. I realized something however, is that even though you delete your Private Messages you have with someone, I did a test and it doesn't delete the Private Messages on their end. So, if you did write something to them, that you don't want someone to find out, how do you know your employer or anyone still won't see that message?
    (I guess make sure your User name is changed before deleting your account?)
    I searched on Google of my Facebook username and it showed up for groups I have commented on.... anyway to get around this and make sure it doesn't show on Google? Is there something in private settings you know about??

    Thanks.
  • Jack Cola
    I Mandy,

    You have to be careful on what you type on Facebook, because even after you delete your account, although Facebook claims they delete your data (whether they do or just hide it), there are still copies floating around somewhere.

    For example, if you post something on my Facebook wall, or respond on a thread I've commented on, what you type will be delivered directly to my email inbox, and even if you delete the comment 2 seconds after, I've received it, and can read it when I check my emails.

    So if you don't want anyone reading what you say to someone, don't say it - call them on the phone, meet with them in person, or don't use Facebook.

    There is a Facebook setting privacy setting in Apps and Websites --> Public Search which you can turn off.

    But you have to be careful commenting on public groups and pages, because anyone can see it.

    If you answer a Poll question on Facebook, anyone who see's that poll will be able to see your name. Any comment you write on a page, all other people who go to that page can read your comment - so you have to really be careful where you write comments on Facebook. Even if you write a comment on a friends status update. If their profile settings is set to public, everyone can see what you have written. And since they are friends with you, your boss can use the "See Friendship" feature on Facebook and see all your messages between you and that other person.
  • Kyle
    If you download your proile to your computer does it backup your friends too?
  • Jack Cola
    No, it only backs up what is on your wall. If you create another FB account, you will have to re-add all your friends - and some may not re-add you back on.
  • Gaby
    how do I re-add all my information to my new account? please help...I will appreciate so much, thanks in advance.
  • Jack Cola
    You have to do everything manually. Note the title of this page "Start from scratch"
  • jade
    ive downloaded my information and set up a new account how do i upload my information back to my new account ?
  • Jack Cola
    Hi Jade,

    There is no point deleting your Facebook account, creating a new one, and re-uploading all the information again.

    The point of this article was to delete your Facebook, and start completely over. So unfortunately, there is no way to re-upload all your information
  • Ronnie  - Mobile version
    Hi Jac, great guide, thanks for your time in writing this.

    Do you know if this can be done from the mobile version or the iPhone app?

    It's been along time since I've been on FB, do you know if you can send a message whilst requesting to add a friend?

    Off this topic, but do you know the answer to this question?.....

    If I write on a friends walls ( il use Joe as an example), and Joe is friends with Fred, but I'm not friends with Fred, can Fred still view what I wrote on Joe's wall?

    Hope you can answer this!!

    Ronnie.
  • Jack Cola
    I would suspect it could, but it would be much easier, and safer to do it on the desktop version.

    I have always found mobile version of Facebook to be somewhat buggy and featureless.

    I don't regularly add people, so I can't be 100% sure. In the old days, when you add someone as a friend, you were prompted to send them a message, but now, there is a privacy option to on who to send you messages. If that's set to anything but public, you won't be able to send them a message when you add them as a friend. But I would most people would have that set to public.

    In your last example, that is completely up to Joe's privacy settings.

    Let's say you write Happy Birthday on Joe's wall, Joe has his wall set to public - everyone who visits Joe's wall will be able to see your comment. If Joe set's his wall to private, only you, and Joes friends will be able to see it. You only have full control of what you write on Facebook if it's on your wall or your status updates.

    However, let's say, you don't like Fred, and Joe is best friends with you and Fred. If you Block Fred (not unfriend, but Block), Fred won't be able to see anything you say on Facebook. So if you view a conversation on a status update between Fred and Joe, and you have blocked Fred, it will appear to you as Joe talking to him self. This is the same if you and Joe have a conversation, Fred will only see Joe talking to himself.

    Hope this helps - if you need clarification, let me know.
  • JS  - Thanks
    I don't intend on making a new Facebook account but I found this info very helpful. I deleted a lot of personal information, pictures, changed my email, password, and name before I deleted my account in case Facebook doesn't delete comments and wall posts.

    Speaking of that, I know messages on Facebook aren't deleted and remain in people's inboxes (I do hear that the persons name who sent them disappears when the account is deleted) but are all my comments and wall posts and statuses deleted? I understand that there is always a copy that is sent to emails but the majority of my friends don't go on email anymore, didnt check the the button to get the emails, have them sent to spam, or delete them when they get them. At this point I feel as if I've done all that I could have to get rid of my Facebook and want to say thanks for this post and your tips because it eased my paranoia and gave me the info and the push I've been wanting for a while to finally get rid of it.
  • Jack Cola
    JS wrote:
    But are all my comments and wall posts and statuses deleted?

    If you delete your account, or delete the actual status (not hide), they are, well they're not publicly accessible, but I am sure there will be a copy floating around, screenshots, emails, archives (depending on your privacy settings) - but they will be much harder to find, as only people involved will have copies.

    For example, I have status updates forward to emails - to make sure I read them all, and it's a good way to store, and read messages that are quickly deleted.
  • GRACE HINOJOSA  - HELP!!
    SOMEONE IS LOGGING INTO MY ACCOUNT FROM ANOTHER CITY. WHY? I DON'T KNOW. I WANT TO DELETE MY PROFILE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAID OUR DATA COULD BE SAVED BEFORE DELETING. MY QUESTION IS IF DOING THIS WILL I LOSE MY PLACE WITHIN THE GAMES AND HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN?
  • Jack Cola
    Your saved games will be deleted, and you wouldn't be able to get them back unfortunately, unless the game has an external save function.

    If someone is logging into your account, you should visit https://www.facebook.com/hacked and follow the prompts.
  • starlett  - pictures
    if i do the whole process and download a backup im guessing thats what it is, it said download a copy of your facebook data... then will that download the pictures and everything too? like i have alot of pictures and i really dont want to go through them by clicking on them one by one and saving them on my computer, but if i download the data then it will save my pictures too right?
  • Jack Cola
    If you follow Facebook's instructions, it will tell you what it will download.

    Basically it will download everything on your profile - your wall posts, status updates, Bio, pictures and video etc.

    So yes, it will download all your photo's.

    It just won't download comments you made on other people's statuses.

    Hope this clears up your question
  • John  - Wall posts
    Great article. Hope this system works on the more recent version of Facebook. I've got a couple of questions, however.

    1. Would all the posts and comments made on other people's walls remain, or are they deleted as well?

    2. What about tags? Are they removed or would it simply show an unlinked version of the name?
  • Jack Cola
    1) Everything will be deleted - after you delete your account, it would appear like you never were on it in the first place.

    2) I would believe tags would be deleted on photo's. However, the photo's other people upload that you are tagged in won't be deleted. The photo's you upload will be deleted.

    I hope this helps.
  • Gina  - Business Pages
    I created my business page but I can't see the wall. I can't update the profile. The only settings I can change are security. I don't have a place to add an admin person. I've tried contacting FB with several e-mails but to no avail. I have screen shots I can send you. Since this is for a business I'm afraid to lose the username. Thanks for your help.
  • Jack Cola
    Hi Gina,

    Please start a chat with me or send me an email on my contact page, and I can see if I can help you out further. Not too sure what's going on there - it needs more investigation.

    Regards,
    Jack
  • George Rand
    Hi,
    I read your post AFTER I had started this process.
    I have already created a new FB account using the same NAME as I've been using all along, just with a different email account !!
    If I now delete the desired account, I'm hoping that any past posts (to an online group) don't get associated with the new, like-named account. I just want them to go away...for good.
    I'm hoping I'll be able to rejoin some "good" groups, immediately.
    What do you think ?
    Thanks...George
  • Jack Cola
    If you delete the old account, the old account gets deleted - your new account won't.

    Facebook accounts don't go by email address or name - they go by profile ID.

    As long as your profile ID is different, you shouldn't have a problem.

    You can find your pofile ID if you go to your photo's and look near the end of URL of the photo. You will see a long digit number like 100000255124512 - that is your profile ID.
  • ivanka  - help
    So I deactivated and deleted my account for various reasons. Now I'm trying to set up a brand new account and its telling me my name is not valid? I'm using my legal name, how are they trying to tell me thats wrong? Please help me.
  • Jack Cola
    Not sure why your name is coming up invalid - do you have any punctuation, commas in your name? Or is it a simple name like John Smith?
  • julie hall  - changing business page back to page with friends
    I changed our facebook page that we had friends on to a business page. I did not know that you could not message on a business page and that was the main form of communication with customers. Can I change back, because the new page does not help me at all. Please help. Thank you
  • Jack Cola
    As I am aware, once you change to a page, you can't chat to customers. You used to be able to send messages out to the people who've liked you, but Facebook has removed this feature.
  • Justin  - help
    If I delete my Facebook, and don't recover my information (or if I do) is there a way that I can lose/delete my username...I hate it..that and removing old stuff from 2007 are the only reasons for restarting
  • Jack Cola
    If yo delete your account, your username gets removed as well.

    However, for an old Facebook account, I think you can change your username only once or twice. Any more, then you are stuck with it until you create a whole new account.
  • Justin  - please help me jackkkkkk
    Hello, there are two reasons that I would like to "delete" my Facebook. The reasons are that I have a very childish username and also I joined Facebook in 2007, so I have grown and matured since then. I was just wondering, when I change my email address to another one and remove my actual email from my Facebook account then change it to a new one of course, can I make a new Facebook with my actual email literally from scratch (with no username)?
  • Jack Cola
    I'm not sure if Facebook has changed how they created accounts, but I believe you can create an account without a username. The username is something you can choose, it works the exact same way as choosing an email address where YOUPICKTHIS@gmail.com
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