Facebook · Save before you delete
How to save your Facebook photos before deleting your account
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From a messy ZIP to this — every photo and video organized by year and by the people in them.
Why it's worth doing first
Deleting your Facebook account is permanent. After the 30-day grace period, everything you've posted is gone from Facebook's servers with no way to get it back. If you've been on Facebook since the mid-2000s, that can be a decade or more of photos and videos that exist nowhere else. The download only takes a few hours — do it before you delete.
One thing to know going in: the export includes the photos and videos you posted, not ones other people uploaded and tagged you in — those stay on their accounts.
Step-by-step: request your Facebook archive
Facebook's data export tool is called Download Your Information (DYI). It's the official, free way to get everything at once — you just have to wait while Facebook packages it, and what lands is a ZIP file full of folders.
- Go to facebook.com/dyi. Or find it under Settings & Privacy → Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information.
- Select "Photos and videos." You can also choose all of your information for posts and messages, but if you only want media, pick Photos and videos to keep the file size manageable.
- Set date range and format. Leave the date range as All time. Choose HTML for easier browsing or JSON if you'll use the archive with other software — either includes the actual media files.
- Set media quality to High. This matters — Facebook defaults to a compressed setting. Select High before submitting so you get the best available resolution.
- Request a download. Click "Request a download." Facebook emails you when it's ready — usually within a few hours, up to a couple of days for large accounts.
- Download and verify the ZIP. When the link arrives, download the file and open it to confirm your photos and videos are actually there. Large archives arrive as several ZIP files — grab all of them. Don't delete your account until you've done this.
Turn that ZIP into a gallery you'll actually use
A folder of files is a backup. It's better than nothing, but it's not a place you'll revisit — the photos land in nested folders with cryptic names, the original dates are often stripped, and videos sit apart from photos. If you're taking these memories with you, it helps to give them a real home.
That's what everkept fixes. Upload the ZIP and you get one private gallery — every photo and video together, organized by year and grouped by the people in them, with the dates restored. Only you can access it, your uploaded files are deleted from our servers after 30 days unless you keep your gallery, and it's never sold, shared, or used to train anything. Free to see what we found; one-time price to keep it, no subscription.
After you've saved everything — then delete
Once your archive is downloaded and you've confirmed the files are intact, you're ready to delete. To permanently delete your Facebook account:
- Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings. Then scroll to "Your Facebook Information."
- Click "Deactivation and deletion." Choose "Delete account" — not deactivation, which just hides your profile temporarily.
- Continue and confirm. Facebook will ask you to log in again and confirm. After you confirm, there's a 30-day grace period during which you can cancel if you change your mind.
Common questions
How long does the Facebook archive download take?
Usually a few hours for smaller accounts, up to a couple of days for larger ones. Request the download and wait for the notification email before you start the deletion process — never delete while the file is still being prepared.
Can I download Facebook videos too?
Yes. Select "Photos and videos" when requesting your archive and Facebook includes both. Set media quality to High to get the best available resolution.
What's the difference between deactivating and deleting Facebook?
Deactivating hides your profile but keeps your data on Facebook's servers — your photos are still there and you can reactivate anytime. Deleting is permanent: after a 30-day grace period everything is removed and cannot be recovered. Either way, your downloaded archive stays with you.
What does the Facebook archive actually contain?
Your photos and videos as standard JPG and MP4 files, plus your posts, captions, albums, and profile pictures — and messages and friends list if you selected all of your information. The ZIP can be several gigabytes for older accounts, and Facebook may split it into multiple parts.
Is there an easier way to see my saved photos in a nice gallery?
Yes. Once you have your ZIP, everkept turns it into one private gallery — every photo and video together, organized by year and by the people in them, with dates restored. Free to see what we found; one-time price to keep it, no subscription.
Your memories deserve better than a ZIP file
Download your archive before you delete, then see it turned into one private gallery you control — organized by year and by person, free to browse everything we find for 7 days.
Browse your whole gallery free →No password needed · Your files are private and deleted after 30 days unless you keep your gallery · One-time price, no subscription