Deleting your Facebook account is the nuclear option. You lose Messenger, every "Log in with Facebook" connection, Marketplace history, your groups, and your friends list. Most people do not actually want that. They want a clean profile — no old posts, no embarrassing comments, no trail of likes — while keeping the account itself.
This guide shows how to delete everything on Facebook without deleting your account, in the order that makes the most difference first.
Delete, Deactivate, or Wipe?
| Option | What happens | Can you undo it? |
|---|---|---|
| Delete your account | Your profile and everything you added are permanently removed | No, once the deletion is final |
| Deactivate your account | Your profile is hidden, but everything is kept; Messenger still works | Yes, by logging back in |
| Wipe your activity | Your account stays; you delete the content you choose | Partly — posts sit in Trash for 30 days |
Facebook explains the first two options in the difference between deactivating and deleting your account. This guide is about the third option.
What "Everything" Includes
Your Facebook footprint is spread across several places, and no single tool clears all of them. Here is what is in scope and how each part gets deleted:
| Content | How to delete it |
|---|---|
| Posts on your profile | DeleteActivity — Posts |
| Posts you wrote in groups | DeleteActivity — Posts |
| Comments you left anywhere | DeleteActivity — Comments |
| Likes and reactions on posts | DeleteActivity — Likes |
| Photos and albums | Manually, album by album |
| Tags on other people's posts | Manually, by removing the tag |
| Search history | Facebook's Clear searches button |
| Friends, groups, followed Pages | Manually — only if you want them gone |
Before You Start: Save a Copy
Wiping years of history is permanent for most content types. Take a backup first with Facebook's Download Your Information tool. It takes a few minutes to request, and you will have a copy of your posts, photos, and comments if you ever want them back.
Step 1 — Delete All Your Posts
Posts are the most visible part of your history, so start here.
DeleteActivity handles the posts, comments, and likes in this workflow. These steps were verified with version 1.9.0 in September 2026.
- Install DeleteActivity from the Chrome Web Store and log in to Facebook in the same browser.
- Click the extension icon and select only Posts.
- Leave the date range on All, or start with the oldest years.
- Click Start Scan and Clean and keep the Facebook tab open.
Profile posts are moved to Trash, and posts you wrote in groups are deleted directly. For large accounts, the guide to mass deleting old Facebook posts by year explains how to split the job into manageable runs.
Step 2 — Delete All Your Comments
Comments live on other people's posts, public Pages, and groups — places you cannot see from your own profile. In DeleteActivity, select only Comments and run the same process. Comments are removed directly and do not go to Trash.
More detail: how to delete comments on Facebook.
Step 3 — Remove Likes and Reactions
Every Like, Love, and Haha you have left on a post is still recorded. Select only Likes in DeleteActivity to remove them in bulk. See how to unlike all Facebook posts for filtering ideas.
Step 4 — Delete Photos and Albums
Photo deletion is manual for now. The fastest route is album by album:
- Go to your profile → Photos → Albums
- Open an album, click the ⋯ menu, and choose Delete album
Profile pictures and cover photos live in their own albums. Delete the old ones you do not want, but keep the current ones unless you want an empty profile.
Step 5 — Remove Tags
Posts other people tagged you in belong to them, so you cannot delete them. You can remove your tag, which takes the post off your profile. In Activity Log, look for the section listing posts and photos you are tagged in, open each one, and choose Remove tag.
Step 6 — Clear Search History
Open Activity Log → Search history and click Clear searches. This one clears in a single click.
Step 7 — Empty Trash
Deleted profile posts wait in Trash for 30 days. When you are sure about the cleanup, empty Trash to remove them immediately. See how Facebook Trash works.
Step 8 — Lock Down Anything Left
If you kept some older posts, use Limit Past Posts to switch them from Public to Friends in one step. The trade-offs are covered in Limit Past Posts vs deleting old posts.
How Long Does a Full Wipe Take?
It depends on how long you have used Facebook and how active you were. As a rough guide:
- Light users (a few hundred items in total) can finish in an afternoon.
- Heavy users (thousands of comments and likes) should plan the cleanup over several days, one content type or a few years at a time.
On the free plan, DeleteActivity deletes 30 items per day, and unfinished runs can be resumed the next day. Pro removes that limit.
What Stays After the Wipe
- Your account, name, and login
- Your friends list (unless you remove friends)
- Messenger conversations — DeleteActivity does not touch Messenger
- Groups you are a member of and Pages you follow
- Your current profile and cover photos, if you kept them
FAQ
Can I delete everything on Facebook without deleting my account?
Yes. Delete your posts, comments, and likes in bulk with a tool like DeleteActivity, then handle photos, tags, and search history manually. Your account stays active the whole time.
Will my friends be notified?
Facebook normally does not send a new notification solely because you remove your own posts, comments, or likes. People may still have seen the original content, an earlier notification, or a saved copy.
Can I undo the wipe?
Profile posts can be restored from Trash for 30 days. Comments and likes cannot be restored once removed.
Will this affect my Messenger chats?
No. DeleteActivity only handles posts, comments, and likes. Messenger is not affected.
Is it easier to just make a new account?
Sometimes. But a new account means rebuilding your friends list, rejoining groups, and reconnecting every app that uses Facebook Login. A wipe keeps all of that.
Start Your Fresh Start
DeleteActivity runs locally in your browser — no Facebook password, and your posts, comments, and likes are never uploaded to our servers.
Install DeleteActivity — Free on Chrome Web Store
For a deeper look at safe bulk cleanup, read the guide to bulk deleting Facebook posts, comments, and likes safely, or learn how to clear your Facebook Activity Log.