Why is it taking so long to download Facebook data

Starting in 2010, Facebook started giving users the option to download their Facebook data, the collection of posts, photos, friends and even previous locations that Facebook has collected from you over the years.

Until this spring, when Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal became public, a lot of people didn’t even know that this data download was an option. There’s probably a good reason for that: Downloading your user Facebook data is the kind of thing you might do right as you’re deleting your Facebook account altogether. Facebook even prompts users to do this on the “Permanently Delete Account” screen.

So it’s interesting, then, that there are a lot of people trying to download their data from Facebook this month. So many, in fact, that it’s causing delays on Facebook’s end as the company tries to fulfill all those data requests.

“Over the past two weeks we’ve experienced a higher volume of Download Your Information requests than usual,” a Facebook spokesperson told Recode when we noticed a few complaints that download requests seemed to be taking a long time. “This means it is taking longer to process the requests. We are working on it and appreciate people’s patience.”

Not all download requests are from users preparing to delete their accounts, of course, though it’s certainly a common process. We also don’t know much about how common download requests actually are. How many people normally request their data? Is this spike in traffic rare? How does it compare to previous spikes? Facebook wouldn’t say.

The timing is interesting, though. It’s been one week since the New York Times published a bombshell report about how Facebook’s top executives handled the fallout of the 2016 presidential election, during which Russian trolls used the service to try and sow discord among voters. The NYT story led to a lot of other negative press for the company in the week since, and more calls for people to delete Facebook.

It’s also nearing the end of the year, the time when some users might be preparing to give up social media for the new year.

In either case, Facebook users want their data and they want it now. They’ll just have to be a little patient.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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Why is it taking so long to download Facebook data

  • Why Should I Download?
  • Downloading Your Facebook Data
    • How to Download Facebook Data on Mobile App
    • How to Download Facebook Data on Desktop
    • Things to Consider
  • It Doesn’t Work! How to Fix?
  • To Conclude, Downloading Facebook Data

You can download all historical data from your Facebook account. We recommend that you back up your account before you permanently close it. To back up your account, download a copy of Facebook data at the bottom of the General Account Settings section. Just click the link. When backing up your Facebook account, you can download all the information to your computer. If you just want to download your photos and videos, you should specify this on the backup page. Posts, photos, videos, comments, likes, phrases, friends, followers, followed, messages, groups, events, profile information, pages, payment history, saved content, places, ads, search history, location history, searches, entire archive, login information, and network information can be downloaded.

You should download Facebook data because you may need it later. That’s why, we will explaining how to download the data on Facebook. You can follow the steps simply and get the data on your folders.

Why Should I Download?

Facebook is a platform with many memories and friends. It is the largest social media site where unforgettable friendships, sharing, and feelings are experienced. For any reason, even if you want to close your account, you do not want to delete old memories and information. The only way to do this is to download data if you regret it in the future and want to bring it back. Let’s say you have a Facebook page and you decided to delete it. After learning how to delete a Facebook page, you should download whole data because you may want to start posting again. You can download;

  • Posts
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Comments
  • Likes
  • Phrases
  • Friends
  • Followers and followed
  • Messages
  • Groups
  • Events
  • Profile information
  • Pages
  • Payment history
  • Saved content
  • Places
  • Ads
  • Search History
  • Location History
  • Searches
  • Entire archive
  • Login information
  • Network information

Downloading Your Facebook Data

If you need to download your data on Facebook, you can download it on your computer or mobile phone. You can find the steps to download Facebook data for desktops and smartphone. You can download your posts by using tools like Facebook Video Downloader, however, if you need to download all your data, you must follow the steps on your account.

How to Download Facebook Data on Mobile App

It is possible to download Facebook data on your mobile phone with the app. Here are the steps to download Facebook data.

Why is it taking so long to download Facebook data

  • Tap on your profile icon at the bottom.
  • Scroll down, and you will see the Setting&privacy. Tap on and choose settings.
  • Tap on the “Profile settings” button.
  • Scroll down, and find “Download profile information”.
  • Choose your preferences.
  • Tap on the “Create file” button.

How to Download Facebook Data on Desktop

You can follow the steps below to download your data from your computer.

Why is it taking so long to download Facebook data

  1. After clicking your profile picture icon, enter the “Settings&Privacy” menu.
  2. Open “Settings” and then “Privacy”.
  3. Click on the “Your Facebook information” button.
  4. You can see the “Download profile information” section. Click on the “view” button.
  5. Specify which data you want to download.
  6. Click on “Request a download”.

After you complete the steps, you will encounter a zip file; just open the files using a zip software, or if you’re working in Windows 10, just right-click the file and choose extract all. After extracting the files, double-click the index.htm file to discover your information.

Things to Consider

You should also pay attention to several folders to browse to access your photos, videos, and messages. When it turned out that Facebook used this data, it created a debate among social media users. There were even some actions in response to this. But still, nothing changed. Because the Facebook service contract clearly states that the company uses these data. It does all the social media sites, not just Facebook. Data is shared with 3rd party companies for advertising purposes. So briefly, No one is safe on social media. You should know that.

It Doesn’t Work! How to Fix?

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You tried to download Facebook data, but didn’t it work? Let’s check the possible issues:

  • There may be a problem with the data download link. You must notify Facebook customer service to correct this.
  • Your internet connection may not be enough to download the data file. Turn off the modem and refresh your internet connection.
  • The request for data download may have been incomplete or incorrect. Try again
  • The device to which you want to download the data (PC or mobile device) may not have enough storage space. In such cases, your download may fail. Clear your HDD and try again.

To Conclude, Downloading Facebook Data

We have shown you how to download your data on Facebook. I hope this article was helpful to you. After you download your data on Facebook, you will be relax about your account because you will not have a anxiety about loosing your data. No matter if you want to delete your account or you don’t want, you should download the data for any case of problem.

How long does downloading Facebook data take?

After clicking the download button, you'll be asked to re-enter your password. Then, the download will begin. This step should take anywhere from five to ten minutes, depending on the amount of data you're downloading. Once your data file has been downloaded successfully, open up the zip file.

Will downloading Facebook information show deleted messages?

We store different categories of data for different time periods, so you may not find all data from the time you joined Facebook. You won't find information or content that you deleted because we delete that content from our servers.