They’re literally tailored around the things you like so that they can bombard you with posts, videos and advertisement you’ll be more likely to click. On top of it all is the question of how secure your private information with Facebook really is, as we hear more and more about leaks and malign targeting by trolls and promulgators of fake news. But this is one addiction you can get rid of as easy as clicking your mouse, and here’s how:
1. Access your account settings
From your home page on Facebook, click the downward-pointing arrow in the blue bar on top and click on “Settings”. This will open up your account settings. Take note of the sidebar, we will be using two tabs: “Apps and Websites” and “Your Account Information”.
2. Disconnect your apps from Facebook
Click “Apps and Websites” on the sidebar. You will be presented with all of the apps, games, and websites that you log into using your Facebook information. Make a list of these apps, as you will need to access each of them and change your login information for all of them. Check all the boxes and click remove. This will disconnect these apps from Facebook.
As mentioned, you will need to then access each of your connected apps and manually reset the login information (password, username, etc.).
3. Download all of your Facebook information
We don’t just use Facebook to connect with old high school friends and play games like Bejewelled, we also use it as a family album, a repository for memories, and more. But deleting Facebook doesn’t mean all of these memories have to go to waste. There is a very easy way to save all of those cherished moments, even as you wave the notifications and spam goodbye.
So, click “Your Account Information” on the settings sidebar and click “Download Your Information”. This will open a brand new page, which will allow you to pick and choose what content you want to save and your preferred format. For the sake of ease, we recommend that you save your information in the default HTML form. This will essentially give you an offline version of your Facebook page.
4. Choose your exit strategy
Once you saved all of your treasured memories, go back to your account settings, and return to “Your Account Information”. Choose “Deactivation and Deletion”, which will be our final station before sweet freedom. You will be provided with two distinctly different options for disappearing from Facebook, which are to deactivate or to completely delete your account.
Deactivation
By deactivating your account, you will be making it inaccessible to all people, including yourself. Functionally, this is the same as deleting your account with two key differences:
1. You will be able to reactivate your account at a later date if you so wish.
2. If you’re using the Facebook Messenger app, you will still be able to use that.
Of course, if you don’t want the temptation of a way back into Facebook to be present, we recommend you opt for the second option.
Deletion
This will totally, completely and irreparably remove your account from Facebook. For the first 30 days, your account will technically be deactivated (meaning you can walk back on your decision if you’ve had a sudden stroke of regret), but after that? So long and thanks for all the ads. Bye-bye, Zuckerberg.
