How to Log Out of Facebook Messenger on Android or iPhone

How to log out of Messenger from the phone

There are two methods of logging out of the Facebook Messenger app: Log out of the Messenger session from the Facebook web or clear the Messenger app data from within your device Settings. The first procedure works on both iPhone and Android phones, while the second is only available for the Android Messenger app.

Let us now take a look at each of these steps.

Log out of Messenger account from the Facebook web (Android and iPhone users)

Since Meta has been trying to restrict Messenger use for those users with a Facebook account (active or not), you are now required to sign out your Messenger through the Account Center of your Facebook.

Currently for iOS users, it is only possible to log out through the browser version of Facebook. This is also supported for Android users, but there is an alternative way, which we show below.

On your iPhone or Android browser, follow these steps to log out of the Messenger application:

1. Open your browser and go to facebook.com.
2. Log in to your account associated with Messenger.
3. Tap ≡ on the right-top corner and choose Settings.
4. Find and tap on See more in the Account Center.
5. In the Account Center, choose Password and security.
6. Select the account associated with your messenger.
7. Scroll and tap Select devices to log out.
8. Select the device your messenger is logged in.
9. Tap Log out and then confirm.

You can also go directly to step 5 by going to accountscenter.facebook.com on your browser. Just input the Meta account which your Messenger is associated with.

Pro tip: The steps above can also be applied to Messenger Lite.

Log out Messenger by clearing app data in Settings (Android users only)

To log out of Facebook Messenger, you need to go into the Settings of your Android device.

1. Close the app if you have it open, and remove it from your recent apps list. Otherwise, this trick won’t work.
2. Open the Settings app.
3. Select the Apps option.
4. Tap on See all apps.
5. Select the Messenger app.
6. Tap on Storage & cache.
7. After opening, select Clear Storage.
   1. There also should be a Clear Cache option, which we suggest you select as well.

Now when you return to launch Messenger in your app drawer, you should see that it will not automatically log you in. 

Pro tip: If someone else wants to use your smartphone to check their Facebook messages while you're still logged in, they just need to select Switch Account to sign in to their own account.

Note that this little trick will delete all data that your Messenger application had saved: so it will be returned to a freshly installed state. But as we mentioned earlier, the application 'remembers' your Facebook account.  If you do not want even your account to be displayed here, you will need to repeat the same step. This time, however, using the main Facebook app.

How to log out of Messenger from a computer

You can log out of the iOS or Android Messenger apps from the Facebook website, from your PC or laptop similar to the first method.

1. Go to accountscenter.facebook.com on your computer's browser.
2. Select Password and security.
3. Choose Where you're log in on the right side menu.
4. Select on the account your Messenger is logged in.
5. Choose Select devices to log out.
6. Tick the box on the device you want to log out.
7. Tap Log out and confirm.

These workaround methods can be a bit annoying to deal with, but they work. Facebook doesn't seem keen to change the situation and make it any easier. If you are annoyed by Facebook in general, you might want to consider giving it the boot and trying one of these Facebook alternatives.

How to log out of your Facebook account

In case you are looking for something more concrete to disconnect yourself from Facebook, you can log out from Facebook in different ways depending on where you are accessing it from.

Logging out of Facebook on a computer

If you primarily access Facebook on your computer using a browser, all you need to do to log out of Facebook is to perform these steps:

1. Open Facebook.
2. In the extreme top right corner, click the downward arrow button and select the last option, Log Out.

Logging out of the Facebook App on iOS and Android

If you happen to access Facebook using the official Facebook app, the steps to log out of the app are pretty simple.

1. Launch the Facebook app.
2. Select the menu button (three lines) in the top right corner.
3. Scroll down to the very bottom and select Log Out.

How to log out of Facebook if you've lost your smartphone

In case you lost your smartphone and are worried the thief or person who found it could possibly access your private information, you can remotely log out of Facebook using your computer. Here’s how you can do so:

1. Open Facebook on your computer.
2. Click this link: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=mobile 
3. Click on Lost your phone?.
4. In the dialog box that appears, click Log Out on Phone.

If you are on the lookout for something that is even more drastic, we assume that you are looking at a temporary deactivation or perhaps something more permanent like deleting your Facebook account. Well, we have a separate article that addresses the same issue. Please check it out in the link below.

• Now's the time: How to delete a Facebook account permanently

What do you think of Facebook's decision to make Messenger a separate app? Does it annoy you that there's no straightforward way to log out in the form of a Log Out button? Let us know in the comments!

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This article was last updated in July 2024. Older comments have been retained and hence, some of them might seem out of context.