Most people have no idea how much of their life is stored on Facebook. Years of photos, status updates, messages, check-ins, comments, reactions, every ad interest Facebook has tracked, every device you have ever logged in from, every third-party app that has access to your account — all of it sits on Meta’s servers, quietly accumulating.
The good news is that Facebook gives you the ability to download a complete copy of everything. Whether you are planning to delete your account, converting your profile to a Page, safeguarding your memories, auditing what Facebook knows about you, or simply creating a backup before something goes wrong — downloading your Facebook data is one of the most important things you can do for your digital privacy and peace of mind.
The export includes your posts, friends list, followers, messages, photos, videos, account activity, and much more.
In this complete guide, we walk you through exactly how to download your Facebook data in 2026 — on desktop, Android, and iPhone — including what gets included in the download, how to choose the right format and settings, how long the process takes, and what to do with the file once you have it.
Why Download Your Facebook Data?
There are several compelling reasons to request a copy of your Facebook information:
Before deleting your account: If you are planning to leave Facebook permanently, downloading your data first ensures you keep every photo, post, and memory. You can walk away without losing a decade of history.
Before converting your profile to a Page: As covered in our Facebook profile-to-Page conversion guide, your personal posts and photos do not transfer during conversion. Downloading your data first preserves everything.
Creating a personal backup: Facebook accounts can be hacked, disabled, or accidentally locked. Having a local backup means you never lose your content permanently.
Auditing your privacy: The archive shows everything Facebook has stored — friend lists, ad interests, login history, messages. Some people download purely out of curiosity about what Facebook actually knows about them.
Preserving memories: A grandparent passing, a wedding, a year abroad — exporting lets you extract the part you care about and set it aside permanently.
For legal or personal records: In some situations, having a documented record of your Facebook activity — messages, dates, interactions — may be needed for personal or legal purposes.
What Is Included in Your Facebook Data Download?
When you request your data, you can access files containing the information you have provided — like your name, email, and address — as well as account activity such as posts, photos, messages, and data logs. These logs include your interactions, device information, and connections to third-party apps, websites, and services.
Here is a breakdown of what Facebook includes in a full data download:
Personal Information
- Name, email address, phone number, and date of birth
- Profile pictures and cover photos
- About section, bio, and personal details
- Relationship status and life events
Your Activity
- Posts, status updates, and timeline content
- Photos and videos you have uploaded
- Stories (where available)
- Comments on other people’s posts
- Reactions and likes
- Check-ins and places visited
- Events you attended or were invited to
Messages and Conversations
- Facebook Messenger conversations (text, photos, videos, voice messages)
- Group chat history
Friends and Followers
- Your complete friends list
- Friend requests sent and received
- People you follow and followers
Groups and Pages
- Groups you belong to
- Pages you have liked or followed
- Posts in groups
Security and Login Information
- Login history (dates, devices, locations)
- Active sessions
- Devices and browsers used to access Facebook
- IP address history
Advertising Data
- Your ad interests as categorised by Facebook
- Advertisers who have targeted you
- Your ad interaction history
- Off-Facebook activity (websites and apps that share your data with Facebook)
Other Data
- Payment history (if you have used Facebook Pay)
- Marketplace activity
- Third-party apps and websites connected to your account
- Search history on Facebook
Important note: Not all data Facebook collects about you will be included in your download. Some data — particularly raw machine learning data and internal Facebook analytics — is not made available in the user download.
How to Download Your Facebook Data on Desktop (Step-by-Step)
Facebook moved the download flow into the Accounts Center in 2024. The path is now the same on desktop and mobile, with minor UI differences. Desktop is easier if you are downloading a lot of data.
Step 1: Open your browser and go to facebook.com. Sign in to your account.
Step 2: Click your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Click Settings and Privacy from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Click Settings.
Step 5: In the left-hand sidebar, click Accounts Center. This opens Meta’s unified Accounts Center at accountscenter.facebook.com.
Step 6: Inside Accounts Center, click Your information and permissions.
Step 7: Click Export your information.
Step 8: Click Create new export (or Download your information depending on your version of the interface).
Step 9: Select which Facebook account’s data you want to export — tap the correct profile to continue.
Step 10: On the next screen, select Export to device (to download directly to your computer).
Step 11: The data selection screen will appear. Here you choose exactly what information to include:
- Select all to download everything (recommended for a complete backup)
- Or choose specific categories if you only need certain types of data — for example, Photos and Videos only, or Messages only
Step 12: Choose your Date range:
- All time — recommended to get your complete history
- Custom — if you only need data from a specific period
Step 13: Choose your Format:
- HTML — opens in a web browser, easy to read and navigate visually. Best for personal browsing and printing.
- JSON —JSON format is much more versatile for future use if you ever need to import the data somewhere else.
For most users creating a personal backup, HTML is the more accessible choice. For technical users or those planning to use the data with other applications, JSON is recommended.
Step 14: Choose your Media quality:
- High — full resolution photos and videos (largest file size)
- Medium — compressed but still good quality
- Low — smallest file size, noticeably lower quality
For a permanent backup you intend to keep, choose High.
Step 15: Click Create files (or Submit request) to initiate the download request.
Step 16: Wait for Facebook to prepare your data.You should receive an email within 10 to 30 minutes with a file of your personal data to download. For larger accounts with years of content, this can take up to 24 hours.
Step 17: Once your file is ready, Facebook will send you a notification.Click the bell icon in the top right corner → click the notification that says “The files you requested are ready to download.”
Step 18: Click Download in the pop-up that appears.
Step 19: Enter your Facebook password and click Continue to download the file to your computer.
Important:Once you receive the notification, you have four days until the download request expires. Download the file promptly after receiving the notification to avoid having to submit another request.
How to Download Your Facebook Data on iPhone (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Open the Facebook app on your iPhone. Make sure you are logged into the correct account.
Step 2: Tap your profile picture in the top left corner of the screen.
Step 3: Tap Settings and Privacy → tap Settings.
Step 4: Scroll down and tap Accounts Center.
Step 5: Tap Your information and permissions.
Step 6: Tap Export your information.
Step 7: Tap Create new export.
Step 8: Select your Facebook account/profile on the export screen.
Step 9: Tap Export to device on the Choose where to export screen.
Step 10: Select the data types you want to include — tap Select all for a complete backup or choose specific categories.
Step 11: Set your date range (All time recommended), format (HTML or JSON), and media quality (High for best results).
Step 12: Tap Create files to submit the request.
Step 13: Wait for the notification from Facebook — this arrives via the app notification and by email. Once notified, return to the same Export your information section and tap Download to save the file to your device.
Storage tip: A big download will eat phone storage on mobile. If your Facebook account has years of photos and videos, consider using desktop for the download to avoid filling your phone’s storage.
How to Download Your Facebook Data on Android (Step-by-Step)
The Android steps are nearly identical to iPhone:
Step 1: Open the Facebook app → tap the three horizontal lines (☰) in the top right corner.
Step 2: Tap Settings and Privacy → Settings.
Step 3: Scroll down and tap Accounts Center.
Step 4: Tap Your information and permissions → Export your information.
Step 5: Tap Create new export → select your account → tap Export to device.
Step 6: Choose your data categories, date range, format, and media quality.
Step 7: Tap Create files to submit the request.
Step 8: Once notified, return to the same section and tap Download to save the file.
How to Download Specific Types of Facebook Data
If you do not need everything and only want specific data — for example, just your photos, or just your messages — Facebook allows you to select individual categories during the export process.
During Step 11 (data selection), instead of choosing Select all, scroll through the available categories and tick only the ones you need:
- Posts — your personal timeline posts and status updates
- Photos and Videos — every photo and video you have uploaded
- Messages — your complete Messenger conversation history
- Friends and Followers — your friends list and follower data
- Comments — your comments on posts across Facebook
- Reactions — every like and reaction you have made
- Search History — your Facebook search history
- Ads information — your ad interests and targeting data
- Security and Login information — device and login history
- Apps and Websites — third-party connections to your account
Selecting only what you need results in a smaller file and faster preparation time.
Understanding Your Downloaded Facebook Data File
Once downloaded, your data arrives as a .zip file. Here is how to access and navigate it:
Step 1: Locate the downloaded .zip file on your computer (usually in your Downloads folder).
Step 2: Right-click the .zip file → select Extract All (Windows) or double-click to open (Mac).
Step 3: Inside the extracted folder, you will see subfolders organised by category — for example:
- photos_and_videos — all your uploaded photos and videos
- messages — your Messenger conversations
- posts — your timeline posts
- profile_information — your personal details
- security_and_login_information — login history and device data
If you downloaded in HTML format: Open the index.html file in your web browser. This acts like a private website showing all your Facebook data in a readable, clickable format — you can navigate between sections just like a website.
If you downloaded in JSON format: Each subfolder contains .json files that can be opened in a text editor or imported into data analysis tools. The content is less visually formatted than HTML but more complete and technically flexible.
What to Do With Your Facebook Data After Downloading
Once you have your data file, here are the most common and useful things to do with it:
Store it safely: Move the extracted folder to a secure location — an external hard drive, a USB drive, or a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. Keep at least one backup in a separate physical location from your computer.
Review your ad interests: Open the Ads and Businesses section of your downloaded data to see exactly how Facebook has categorised your interests for advertising. Many people are surprised by the level of detail. You can then go to Facebook’s Ad Preferences settings and remove interests you disagree with.
Check your login history: The Security and Login Information folder shows every device, browser, and location that has ever accessed your account. If you see unfamiliar logins, change your password immediately and enable two-factor authentication.
Archive your photos: The photos folder contains every image you have ever uploaded to Facebook in their original uploaded quality. This is often the most valuable part of the archive — years of memories in one place. Consider organising them into a proper photo library on your computer or backing them up to Google Photos.
Review third-party app access: The Apps and Websites section shows every third-party service that has ever connected to your Facebook account. Many people find apps they completely forgot about — some of which may still have access to their Facebook data. Use this as a prompt to go into Facebook Settings and revoke access to any apps you no longer use.
Common Questions and Troubleshooting
The download notification never arrived
Check your email’s spam or junk folder — Facebook’s notification emails sometimes end up there. Also check your Facebook notifications bell. If neither shows a notification after 24 hours, the request may have timed out — submit a new request.
The download file is too large to open
Very large accounts (10GB+) may produce .zip files that standard Windows or Mac extraction tools struggle with. Use a dedicated extraction tool like 7-Zip (free, Windows) or The Unarchiver (free, Mac) to handle large archives reliably.
Some photos or messages seem to be missing
Facebook’s data export does not always include 100% of all historical data, particularly for very old content or messages that were sent before certain dates. If specific content is critical, try submitting a second export request selecting only that specific category and the relevant date range.
The data is in JSON and I cannot read it
Open a JSON file in a modern web browser (Chrome or Firefox) rather than a text editor — browsers render JSON in a more readable, indented format. Alternatively, paste the JSON content into a free online JSON viewer tool for a cleaner view.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to download Facebook data?
You should receive an email within 10 to 30 minutes with a file of your personal data to download. For very large accounts with many years of photos and videos, preparation can take up to 24 hours.
Is it safe to download my Facebook data?
Yes. The download process is handled entirely through Facebook’s official systems. <cite index=”29-1″>You never need to share your Facebook password with any third-party website or tool to download your data. Facebook has a fully official, built-in export system inside Meta’s Accounts Centre.</cite>
How many times can I download my Facebook data?
There is no stated limit. You can submit new download requests as often as you need — for example, to create periodic backups or to download updated data after submitting a previous request.
Will downloading my data delete anything from Facebook?
No. Downloading your data is a copy — it does not affect your Facebook account, your posts, your photos, or anything else on the platform. Everything remains exactly as it was.
How long is the download link available?
Once you receive the notification, you have four days until the download request expires. Download the file promptly after receiving the notification.
Can I download data from a Facebook Page I manage?
The standard download process covers your personal account data. Facebook Pages have a separate data export option accessible through the Page’s settings. Go to your Page → Settings → Your Facebook Information → Download Your Information to access Page-specific data.
What format should I choose — HTML or JSON?
HTML is easier for most people to navigate and read. JSON is more versatile technically and better for long-term archiving or importing data into other tools. If you are unsure, download in HTML for readability. If you are technically inclined or plan to use the data with other software, choose JSON.
Can I download Facebook data on a mobile phone?
Yes. The download process works on both Android and iPhone through the Facebook app’s Accounts Center. However, for large downloads with years of photos and videos, desktop is recommended to avoid consuming your phone’s storage.
What happens to my data if Facebook deletes my account?
If your account is disabled or deleted by Facebook — whether for terms of service violations or inactivity — you lose access to your data immediately. This is one of the strongest reasons to download your data regularly, regardless of whether you plan to leave the platform.
Is there a way to download someone else’s Facebook data?
No. Facebook’s data export system only provides access to your own account’s data. Downloading another person’s data is not possible through Facebook’s official tools and would violate both Facebook’s terms of service and privacy laws.
