How to Request & Download Personal Data on Facebook

When you finish creating your Facebook account. From that moment FB keeps your personal data on its servers. Don’t know if it’s secure, I know there are smart people but Facebook has always been ahead of them. Anyways, you can request that information anytime you want. Then there is a time interval, you can download your personal data or your information with just a single click.

However, there are people who don’t know how to open your personal data or information you have just downloaded from Facebook. Don’t worry, I will show you the procedure for that too.

People do this to download their information or personal data for two main reasons. The one they are leaving Facebook, and the 2nd is they just wanna know what Facebook knows about them. Moreover, you have no idea what Facebook knows about us, and you. Anyway, that is totally a different topic, and I will post an article on that as well.

Moreover, Facebook allows anyone to download your information to your local computer or phone. You can do this using Facebook on your PC or using the Facebook app on your Android, iOS, or iPhone device. Though you can open the files on both, almost all devices.

How to Request Personal Data on Facebook App and PC

There is two round you need to go through while saving your personal data to your PC or on your mobile. In the 1st round is you will need to request your information, Facebook will take time and you will get a notification that your information ready to download. Then in the 2dn round, you can go ahead and save your desired device. Here is how to request your data on Facebook:

On Facebook using PC

Open Facebook.com on your PC and log in to your account. Then click the drop-down then Settings & Privacy and go to Settings. Under Settings click “Your Facebook Information”. Now click the View option next to “Download Your Information”. Under the Request Copy section select Date Range as All of my data, Format as HTML, and Media Quality as High. Then click on the Create File button. You will need to enter your password upon asking to confirm the action.

How to Request Personal Data on Facebook on PC
How to Request Personal Data on Facebook on PC

On Facebook App

Open your Facebook app on Android or iPhone. Then go to the Menu and tap Settings & Privacy. Tap Settings, then “Download your Information” under the Your Information section on the Settings page. In the Request Copy section select everything and tap the Create File button and you are good to go. Please note that you may be asked to enter your password to confirm the action.

How to Request Personal Data on Facebook App
How to Request Personal Data on Facebook App

Now you need to wait for some time, and let Facebook archive and ready your personal data for downloading. However, it is on you either to download the overall data or only the type of information you wanna save on your computer or mobile locally.

Thus keep this mind that your data will be ready in 10 seconds to 48 hours. However, When I choose to recover my messages on Messenger, then it only takes a few seconds, in most cases 10 to 15 seconds. After that, you will need to remember the expiry date of the file, it’s available for that specific period, and will expire in a few days. Download it before the expiry date or you will need to repeat the same procedure in order to request another copy.

Download Your Information on Facebook App and PC

It does not matter if you are using your PC or Facebook for Mobile for Android and iPhone or iOS devices. Once you get the notification that your information is ready to download then go ahead and do that. Here is how to download your information on Facebook:

On PC

The easy way to download your requested personal data or information on Facebook is to click on the notification icon and select the notification named “Your Information is Ready to Download”. Facebook will take you to the download Available Copy page and there will be a button and its expiry date. Just click the Download button to start saving your information. Don’t worry the download will start automatically.

Download Your Information on Facebook using PC
Download Your Information on Facebook using PC

Alternatively, follow these steps, Click the drop-down> Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Facebook Information > View next to Download Your Information > Available Copies > click the Download button.

On Facebook App for Android and iPhone

Do the same, just go to notifications in the Facebook app and tap on the notification “Your Information is Ready to Download”. Facebook will then redirect you to the download Available Copy of your information. There Is a download button and the file expiry date. Tap on the Download button and you are good to go. But do it before its expiry date.

Download Your Information on Facebook App
Download Your Information on Facebook App

There is an alternative method for doing so. Just follow these steps, Go to Menu > Settings & Privacy then Settings > Download Your Information > Available Copies > click the Download button and that is it.

How to Open Downloaded Facebook Data

Lots of users are confused, they cannot open the file they have downloaded from Facebook as your date or personal information. You can open the download Facebook data on your PC and mobile, Android, or iPhone as well. The below procedure is for both PC and mobile users for doing so. Here is how to open the download Facebook data:

On PC: Once your Facebook data is downloaded to your PC. Then it’s time to open it. Remember that is an Archive and you will need the RAR application to open the file but before you will need to extract it. download the Winrar application for PC (it’s free). Then right-click on the downloaded Facebook data file and click the Extract File option. A folder will be created with the same file name. Now you can click on the folder to open the files in it, Select Chrome browser to open your files as the files will be in HTML format.

How to Open Downloaded Facebook Data
How to Open Downloaded Facebook Data

On the Facebook app: Both iPhone and Android users can follow this procedure. Just go to the Play Store and download the Winrar app, once installed, close it. Then go to the location where the Facebook download data file is located. Tap on the file and select Winrar to open it, and if you are opening other files select Chrome browser as the files are in HTML format.

Fix Download a Copy of your Facebook Data Not Working

If you are unable to get a link to download your Facebook data, or the tool is not working. Then the first thing you can try is to wait for a week and then request your FB data again. 2nd, clear the cache and data on your device and Facebook app. 3rd, log out then log in to your account. 4rth, update your Facebook app to the latest version. 5th, uninstall then reinstall the Facebook app. Last but not least, report the problem to Facebook and you will get it fixed in the next update.

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