You may think if you deactivate the Facebook account, it will automatically deactivate Messenger as well but in reality, you have to deactivate it separately.
So if you don’t want people to contact you through messages, follow the deactivation process below.
Note: You cannot deactivate the Messenger without deactivating FB. If you haven’t then at first check out our article on How To Deactivate Facebook Account.
Steps to Deactivate Messenger
- Launch the Messenger app on your phone.
- After opening the app, if you see the Keep using Messenger page, then tap on the CONTINUE button.
- Tap on your profile at the top left corner.
- Now, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Legal and Policies option.
- Select the Deactivate Messenger option.
- Enter your password and tap on Continue.
- At last, tap on the Deactivate button.
What happens after the deactivation process?
- You will be invisible in the Messenger app. No one will be seeing your profile in the app.
- No one will be able to communicate with you.
- When you reactive Messenger, it will also reactivate your Facebook account automatically.
Note: Deleting Facebook account will also delete all your messages, it’s not like deactivating both separately.
How To Reactivate Facebook Messenger?
If you want to reactivate your Facebook Messenger, then simply log in to the Messenger app with your email address/phone number and password.
The latest iOS version of the app is not showing Deactivate Messenger option under legal & policies. So wait till they fix the issue or deactivate it via the Android phone.
Casey Snell says
There is no Deactivate button under Legal and Policies!!!
Tenxing says
Thank you, Casey Snell, for your query.
Please, make sure that you have deactivated your Facebook account at first because without deactivating your Facebook account, you cannot deactivate Messenger. You can check out our article on How To Deactivate Facebook Account. If you have already done that, here’s what you should do:
1. Tap on Legal and Policies.
2. Tap on Deactivate Messenger.
3. Tap on the Deactivate button.
I hope it will solve your problem.
Ann says
I have no deactivation button under legal and policies ?
Juls says
Even if my facebook deactivated, there’s still no deactivate messenger button under legal and policies. should i wait?
Michie says
This is also my problem, there is no “deactivate” button in the new update of messenger. This is so frustrating. I hope they would do something about this
nawa says
Hello Michie,
You need to deactivate the Facebook account to deactivate the Messenger.
LJ says
Yeah I am annoyed. I can’t deactivate my messenger either even I deactivated my facebook! What happened to fb?! Why they removed the option of deactivating messenger in desktop version??!!
nawa says
Hello LJ
You can download Facebook Messenger, deactivate it from the phone and uninstall the app.
Nicole says
I have no option to deactivate messenger either, this is just total crap and should never be allowed to be live without a deactivate button active. I am a manger of IT within a large corporation and never would something like this be put into production without everything working properly. I don’t know what fb is doing but they truly better get their acts together, again another violation of someone’s rights to stop their account without issue. Also the translation option doesn’t exist for those who used it heavily as well, not right to implant something and then take it away after a very short amount of time. Certainly hope these things are fixed quickly but seeing it has almost been a month I wouldn’t recommend anyone holding their breath.
nawa says
Hello Nicole,
You can deactivate Facebook Messenger from the Messenger app for Android or iOS.
You can only deactivate Messenger if you previously deactivated your Facebook account.
To deactivate Messenger after you’ve deactivated your Facebook account:
1. Open Messenger.
2. Tap your profile picture in the top left corner > Legal & Policies > Deactivate Messenger.
3. Tap Deactivate.
RAY says
NEW MESSENGER UPDATE DOES NOT ALLOW USERS TO DEACTIVATE MESSENGER EVEN IF YOU HAVE DEACTIVATED YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT!!
THERE IS NO OPTION TO DEACTIVATE WHEN YOU GO TO LEGAL & POLICIES. SO MANY PEOPLE KEEP ON REPEATING TO GO TO LEGAL AND POLICIES, PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. THE OPTION IS NOT THERE AFTER FACEBOOK ACCOUNT IS DEACTIVATED
John says
You keep telling us how to David messenger… Even if you deactivate Facebook first… There is no deactivate button for Messenger anymore
Neev says
Hello John,
It seems the issue with iOS, as Android users are able to deactivate properly. I hope Facebook will enable the deactivation option soon for iPhone users
Lester says
Found out that Deactivate button only works for android. (March 2020)
Kien says
Yes, i have the same problem with new vversion. There’s no deactivated button on Messenger apps
Snow says
You can no longer deactivate Facebook messenger from an iPhone!!?!!!!!! I repeat!!!!!! You can not deactivate it off iOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must be done on an android!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank me later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 3-11-2020