Delete or Deactivate: Social Platform Guides
On most platforms, deactivating hides your profile but keeps your data. These guides explain the difference for each major service and how to do either one.
Facebook
Deactivating hides your profile but keeps your data. Deletion removes the account and starts a 30-day countdown.
Instagram
Deactivation hides your grid and keeps everything. Deletion erases the account after a 30-day window.
TikTok
Deactivation hides the profile but keeps the data. Deletion removes the account after 30 days, with limited retrieval.
X
Deactivation starts a 30-day countdown; if you log in during it, the account comes back.
Snapchat
Snapchat deletes immediately once you confirm — there is no 30-day window, but some data stays for a while.
WhatsApp
Deleting removes your account and message history on your device; deleting the app alone removes nothing.