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How to access and download your Facebook data

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How to access and download your Facebook data

Reviewing your Facebook data allows you to see what personal information Facebook has collected about you, helping you make informed decisions about your privacy settings. 

You might also need a copy of your data, which serves as a backup of your photos, messages and memories in case you lose access to your account or decide to delete it. 

Additionally, understanding what data Facebook stores can help you better comprehend how the platform uses your information for advertising and content personalization. Here’s how to do it.

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A person logging onto Facebook. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What data can you access on Facebook?

Facebook collects a wide range of data from you, including your profile information, posts, photos, comments, likes, friends list, location data, search history and interactions with ads and pages. The company uses this data to personalize your experience and show you targeted ads. It also uses the data and shares it with third-party partners to improve its services.

When you request your data, you can access files containing the information you’ve 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.

Keep in mind that not all data Facebook collects about you will be included in your download. 

HOW TO MANAGE A DECEASED LOVED ONE’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

How to download your Facebook data on desktop

The process of accessing and downloading your data from Facebook can change. As of May 2025, you can access and download your information on Facebook using the steps below:

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  • Click your profile picture icon in the top-right corner of the screen. When the menu appears, click Settings & Privacy.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Click Settings in the submenu that appears.

WHAT HACKERS CAN LEARN ABOUT YOU FROM A DATA BROKER FILE

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Click Accounts Center in the left sidebar.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • In the left menu, click Your information and permissions. Then, click Access your information in the right panel.

5 MOBILE PRIVACY TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • After verifying that all the information you need is there, scroll to the bottom and click Download your information.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop   (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • In the pop-up, click Download or transfer information.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Select your Facebook account from the list of accounts and click Next.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Now you need to select how much information you want to receive. We recommend clicking Available information to get a complete copy of everything you need.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Click Download to device so that it’s downloaded to your computer.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Now you need to select your file options. In the Date range field, select the period from which you want Facebook to send your data. The default is Last year, but you can choose Last 3 years or All time for a more comprehensive dataset (note that longer periods take more time to prepare the data). In the Notify field, verify that your email address is correct. Keep the Format and Media quality fields set to HTML and Medium, respectively. Then, click Create files.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Wait for an email notification from Facebook that your requested file is ready to download. That can take up to an hour. Once you receive it, you have four days until the download request expires. When you receive the notification, log into your Facebook account and follow the steps below to download the requested information:

  • Click the bell icon in the top-right corner. In the menu, click the notification that says “The files you requested are ready to download.”

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Click Download in the pop-up.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Enter your Facebook password and click Continue to download the file to your computer.

Steps to download your Facebook data on desktop. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW FACEBOOK SECRETLY COLLECTS YOUR INFORMATION EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T SIGNED UP 

How to download your Facebook data on mobile

The steps below are for iPhone, but they will also work on Android. However, some menu items may appear in slightly different locations or use slightly different names compared to the iPhone. Follow the steps below:

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  • Tap Menu (the profile picture icon) in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap Settings & Privacy to expand it and then tap Settings.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap Your information and permissions.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap Access your information.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • You can review the information to see if it includes everything you need. Afterward, scroll to the bottom and tap Download your information.
  • Tap Download or transfer information.
  • Select the Facebook account(s) you want to download the information from and tap Next.
  • On the screen for selecting how much information you want, tap Available information to get a complete copy.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Next, tap Download to device to store the information on your phone.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Next, you will need to create the file to download. Set Date range to Last 3 years or All time (might take longer to create). Ensure the email address in the Notify field is the one where you want the notification to be sent. Keep the Format and Media quality fields as they are: HTML and Medium, respectively. Finally, tap the Create files button.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Wait for an email notification from Facebook that your requested file is ready to download. That can take up to an hour. Once you receive it, you have four days until the download request expires. When you receive the notification, follow the steps below to download the requested information:

  • Open the Facebook app and tap the Notifications (the bell icon) in the bottom-right corner.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • In the Notifications screen, tap the notification that says “The files you requested are ready to download.”

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap Download in the pop-up.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Enter your Facebook password and tap Continue to download the file to your phone.

Steps to download your Facebook data on mobile. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

WHY IT’S HARD TO TRUST EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS FROM FACEBOOK

Kurt’s key takeaways

Downloading your Facebook data helps you understand what information the platform holds about you. While it may take some time to compile, especially for longer periods, it’s worth doing periodically so you’re aware of your digital footprint on the platform and keep a personal backup in case something happens to the online version.

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Did you find any surprising information that made you reconsider your social media usage? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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Technology

Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”

Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.

This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”

Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”

Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

 

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’

– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age

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– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member

TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.

A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)

BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.

TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.

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EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.

FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.

ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.

BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

 

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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.

In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.

Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.

You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.

Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”

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