How to deactivate or delete Facebook Messenger

As of 2025, Facebook Messenger has about 1 billion monthly active users, according to Statista. There are also plenty of critics who worry about social media apps like this tracking user activity, although some of the data collected is necessary to provide a good user experience.

If you’re looking to protect your social media privacy, deactivating or deleting Messenger might make sense. You’ll need to deactivate your Facebook account first, but you can do that following the steps below too. Follow along to see how to do it.

How to deactivate Facebook Messenger on mobile

Deactivating or deleting Facebook Messenger is a simple process. You can do it from both mobile devices and computers. Because most people use the app primarily on mobile, let’s start by looking at how to deactivate Facebook Messenger in the app.

1. Open Messenger, tap Menu, then Settings.

2. Scroll down and tap See more in Accounts Center.

3. Choose Personal details, then Account ownership and control.

4. Tap deactivation or deletion and select either Deactivate account or Delete account.

5. Select Continue, enter your password, and select Continue.

How to deactivate Facebook Messenger on desktop

Once you’ve done that, follow these steps to deactivate Messenger:

1. Click Menu, then Settings.

2. Choose See more in Accounts Center.

3. Select Personal details and go to Account ownership and control.

4. Click Deactivation or deletion and select your account.

5. Select Deactivate account or Delete account.

What happens after deactivating Messenger?

After you deactivate Facebook and Messenger, your profile will be hidden, but friends will still be able to read old messages you sent them. To reactivate Messenger, simply log back in to your Facebook account.

If you delete your Facebook account but change your mind, you can cancel your account deletion if it’s been less than 30 days. After 30 days, it’s not possible to recover your account or data.

Even though Facebook claims never to sell your data, some people are worried about how much it collects to deliver targeted ads and improve user experience. Others who want to delete Facebook and Messenger may be concerned about falling for a Facebook Marketplace scam.

And while Messenger is a fairly secure messaging app that offers end-to-end encryption, it still collects off-app data such as hardware and Wi-Fi network information. But it’s not the only one, as nearly all social media platforms do this — so consider deactivating or deleting your Instagram and Snapchat accounts if this bothers you.

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If you’re concerned about your online activity being tracked, deactivating or deleting Messenger is just a small step. To help automatically disguise your digital fingerprint every time you go online, get Norton AntiTrack. Use Norton AntiTrack to help keep your online identity private — all from one easy-to-use dashboard.

FAQs

What’s the difference between deactivating Messenger and deleting Messenger?

Deactivating Messenger is temporary. Your friends will still be able to read your old messages, and whenever you’re ready to use it again, simply log back in. Deleting Messenger is permanent and you’ll lose access to your account and data after 30 days.

Can you deactivate Facebook but keep Messenger?

Yes, you can deactivate Facebook but keep using Messenger.

Can you deactivate Messenger but keep Facebook?

No, you cannot deactivate Messenger but keep Facebook. However, you can delete the Messenger app without deactivating your Facebook account.