Facebook users seem to be getting pretty tired of the social media platform’s intrusiveness. What was once a fun way to stay in touch with your classmates has now turned into an ad-filled propaganda machine. The platform seems to be overrun with conspiracy theorists and political extremists. Even if you choose to ignore them, the ads that pop up serve as a reminder of how the platform is slyly tracking your every move.

Facebook has at least given users a way to detox from the platform before they decide to leave it altogether. You have the option to deactivate or delete your account. When you deactivate your account, your profile is in a state of suspended animation. People can no longer find you on the platform. Your comments and tags disappear. However, when you reactivate your account, everything goes back to the way it was. Your profile, comments, tags, photos, and posts are live again. So you can take a break without worrying about losing your old account.

However, if you choose to delete your account, it means that you will not be able to go back to your old account. Your account is dead. To get back on the platform, you will need to create a new profile.

Thinking of deactivating your profile but need to access your messenger? Here’s everything you need to know about deactivating your account and how to access your messenger afterwards.