How to chat on Facebook Messenger when your account is deactivated

Not to forget, it is also a medium to keep in touch with people in your network just like WhatsApp or any other instant messaging app. So, if you are wondering how to continue using Facebook Messenger even when the account is deactivated, keep reading.

First of all, you can always use Messenger if you do not have a Facebook account.

Step 1: If you have never had a Facebook account (which is highly unlikely), or if you want to keep your Messenger and Facebook profiles separate, you can sign up for Facebook Messenger using your mobile phone number or add it to your existing Messenger account. Go to Messenger > tap your profile picture on the top right corner > confirm your phone number.

Step 2: Once you have a mobile number added to your Messenger, you can deactivate your Facebook account using its app or desktop site. In our case, we did it using the desktop site we did not install the app in the first place (we always like to save some battery you know). Once we deactivated our account, we opened Facebook Messenger app to try whether it works.

Step 3: For some reason, we were unable to use Messenger at first. Since we could not find an option to log out of Messenger, we chose to clear app data. In case you have faced a similar problem, we would like to recommend you to go to app settings and clear Facebook Messenger data. Once done, go to Messenger app and tap ‘Switch Account’ on the welcome screen.

Step 4: If you already have a Facebook account, choose ‘I have a Facebook account’ and hit continue. You can also choose ‘I don’t have a Facebook account’ if you have never had a Facebook account. In our case, we chose the first option to continue. Enter your login credentials on the next screen and tap ‘Sign in with Facebook.’

Step 5: You will get a confirmation screen that you have deactivated your Facebook account. Messaging will not reactivate your account and your Facebook friends can still find you on Messenger and Facebook chat. We tried it out with many friends in our network and it worked. However, make sure to have the updated Messenger app installed on your phone.

Similarly, you can also keep using Facebook Messenger via its desktop site when your account is deactivated.