Facebook Messenger is a popular messaging app that allows users to send and receive messages, make calls, and share photos and videos with friends and family.
However, sometimes you may want to catch a break from using the app, are worried about being spied on, or simply no longer want to use it.
In these cases, you can deactivate your Messenger account.
Learning how to deactivate Facebook Messenger in 2025 will hide your profile and all of your messages from other users.
You will not delete your account, but you will not be able to use the app until you reactivate it.
It’s a simple process that can be done through the Facebook website or the app itself.
How to Deactivate Facebook Messenger 2024
You can deactivate your account if you want to take a break from using Facebook Messenger or no longer want to use the app.
Deactivating your Facebook account will hide your profile and messages from other users, and you will not be able to use the app until you reactivate it.
To deactivate Facebook Messenger, you must first deactivate the linked Facebook account.
Then, you can deactivate the Messenger app from within the app itself.
Here are the steps for deactivating Facebook Messenger:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app
- Click on the display picture option in the upper left-hand corner
- Select “Settings” from the menu
- Scroll down and click on “Legal and Policies.”
- Choose “Deactivate Messenger” on the next screen
- Enter your account password and tap “Continue.”
Once you have deactivated Facebook Messenger, your profile will no longer be visible to your friends, and you will not be able to participate in any existing conversations.
However, you will not delete your account, and you can reactivate it at any time by following the same steps and selecting “Reactivate” instead of “Deactivate.”
How to Change Your Online Status on Messenger
If you want to change your status without deactivating your messenger, that is also possible.
This way, when you open the app, it won’t show that you’re active or online.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Messenger app on your mobile device and tap on the profile picture
- Select “Active Status” from the menu
- Toggle off the options for “Show when you’re active” and “Show when you’re active together.”
With these options turned off, your online status will be hidden from other users when you use the Messenger app.
You can toggle these options anytime to show your online status again.
How to Delete Your Messenger Account
If you want to delete your Facebook Messenger account entirely, you can do so by following these steps:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone or Android device
- Tap on the picture in the left corner
- Select “Account Settings” from the menu
- Choose “Account Ownership and Control.”
- Tap “Deactivation and Deletion.”
- Select “Delete the Account.”
- Tap “Continue to Deactivate the Account” and follow the steps to complete the process
It’s important to note that deleting your Facebook Messenger account will also delete your main Facebook account and remove all of your Messenger and Facebook content.
Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent action that you cannot undo.
Once the account is deleted, you can’t reactivate it or get back any of the content you’ve added to the platform.
If you are considering deleting your account, it is a good idea to download a copy of your photos and posts so that you can keep them even after your account is gone.
This way, you will have a record of your memories and activities on the platform.
Why is the Deactivation Button Not Showing?
If you are having trouble accessing the deactivate button for Facebook Messenger, you can try a few things.
First, make sure that the linked Facebook account is deactivated. If it is not, deactivate it first and then try deactivating Messenger again.
If the deactivate button is still not shown or not working, you may need to reinstall the Messenger app.
If the deactivate button is still not shown or working after reinstalling the app, you can try using a PC browser to deactivate the account.
First, go to the “Settings” page on Facebook and select the “Devices” tab.
Disconnect all devices (phone, PC, etc.) except the one you use to access the Facebook website.
Then, deactivate your Facebook account through the website and uncheck the option to “Keep Using Messenger” in the process.
If you only used your phone number to create a Messenger account, you must first create a Facebook account with the same phone number and then follow the above steps to deactivate Messenger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Can’t I Deactivate the Messenger Account Only?
To deactivate Messenger, you can deactivate your Facebook account or disable your active status.
Alternatively, you can simply uninstall the app from the device.
If you decide to deactivate your account, you can easily reactivate it by signing back into Facebook or Messenger.
How Do I Know if A Messenger Account Is Deactivated?
If you see the message “This person is unavailable on Messenger” in the typing area, it means that the person either deactivated their account or had their account deleted by Facebook.
This means that you are not blocked.
Can I Delete My Messenger without Deleting Facebook?
You can simply turn off the chat if you want to disable Facebook Messenger without deactivating your entire Facebook account.
Remember that the option to deactivate Facebook Messenger is only available on its smartphone app and not through the web interface.
To deactivate the app, you will need to use one of the smartphone apps.
Will People Know if I Delete Messenger?
If you uninstall the Messenger app from your device, it does not make your profile invisible to other users.
Your profile will still be available on Messenger, and people will still be able to send you messages.
However, since the app is not installed on your phone, you will not receive notifications about incoming messages.
You will only see them when you log in to the app or website.
Conclusion
Learning how to deactivate Facebook Messenger properly in 2025 is a simple process that allows you to take a break from the app or stop using it altogether.
When you deactivate your Facebook Messenger account, you will hide your profile and messages from other users, and you will not be able to use the app until you reactivate it.
It is helpful if you want just to take a break from the app or no longer wish to use it.
It’s important to know that by deactivating your Messenger account, you will not deactivate your main Facebook account.
