How to Permanently Delete Your Twitter Account
If you are tired of your Twitter addiction or just don’t use it enough, here’s how to permanently delete your Twitter account.
There’s no question that Twitter can provide a wealth of information, from breaking news to funny memes and lively debates. However, at times, it can also be overwhelming, addictive, and just plain unpleasant. If you are tired of Twitter and want to get rid of your account, here’s how.
Backup Twitter Data First
Before you get to the deletion part you might want to save your data first. To do that head to Settings and privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data.
After you request an archive of your Twitter data it can take up to two days to get it. Keep that in mind before you delete your account. This will allow you to check it out and ensure everything you want is saved.
Keep in mind that your Twitter archive is fully interactive and searchable. You can also check other folders in the archive to make sure the photos you uploaded are included. For the full step-by-step instructions read our article: How to Download Your Entire Twitter History Archive.
Delete your Twitter Account
On your computer, launch a browser and log into your Twitter account if you aren’t already. Then click the More button just above the blue “Tweet” button.
Now from the menu that comes up click on Settings and privacy.
On the following screen select Your account > Deactivate your account.
A message will come up telling you some things you need to know if you delete your account. Just like with deleting your Facebook account, your account isn’t just “automatically gone.” There are a few things to note that this page tells you and some things it doesn’t:
- You can restore your account for up to 30 days after deletion.
- Some of your information could still be available on search engines as they cache your information if your profile is public. According to the Twitter Help Center: “Keep in mind that the words you write in your Twitter profile or public Tweets may be indexed by Google and other search engines, and cause your profile or Tweets to come up in a search for those terms.”
- Twitter will also keep your Log Data for a maximum of 18 months. Log data would include information like your IP address, contacts, browser type, operating system, location, your mobile carrier, phone number, device and application IDs, cookie information, and more.
If you want to continue, go ahead and click Deactivate at the bottom of the message.
Next, type in your account password and click the Deactivate button.
That’s it. You will get a message that your account is deactivated (unfortunately not completely deleted just yet).
A Few More Important Points
Since it’s going to take a month of avoiding logging in. You also need to go through all of your services and apps that integrate with Twitter and make sure that you disconnect them from your account. The same goes for web browsers that automatically log you in when you visit Twitter.com. Everything needs to go, or you might find you’ve accidentally reactivated your account. Make sure to uninstall the app from your phone, too.
Remember that with social media services like Twitter, you and your information are the product. It’s not just a place where you can freely use and remain anonymous. You give up your information that it can sell to third-parties and push targeted advertisements and interests to your timeline.
14 Comments
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Steve Krause
June 22, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I don’t think we should be shocked that any FREE service is going to be farming and storing data around usage, relationships and other data we might pump through the service. Nothing is free and everyone needs to make money — including companies that provide these free services. Ad revenue is just 1 say and data aggregation is the other.
Can blame them, I think people just need to be aware of it. Good article Austin. I’m not going to nuke my account but it’s all good to know.
Theo
April 20, 2015 at 9:48 am
I have been trying for a year to “deactivate” my account. I have followed the steps outlined per Twitter. I have received confirmation that account will be deleted in 30 days. HOWEVER, within 7 days I receive notices from Twitter that account has been reactivated.
This has been going on for almost a year…round and round. Any and all contact information to Twitter does not work (at least what I have found).
So I am not sure what to make of the procedure that Twitter has. For me, it does not work.
Any solutions?
Khema mahiya
November 6, 2015 at 7:09 pm
My profile button not working
Khema mahiya
November 6, 2015 at 7:10 pm
My profile button not working and i want deactivate my account
Keamogetse
December 20, 2015 at 1:59 am
my profile not working
V
January 15, 2016 at 11:14 am
I’m having the same problem as theo. I keep deactivating and someone must be hacking it and reactiveating, it’s happened a couple of times now! I haven’t even used this count in years and even then only tweeted like three times.
khema mahiya
January 25, 2016 at 8:46 pm
i’m not found “deactivate my account” option in setting
what do
khema mahiya
January 25, 2016 at 8:48 pm
i’m not found “deactivate my account” option in setting
so what i do
Rick Morris
January 26, 2016 at 1:51 am
I need online to sow me deactivate click on
Todd.P
August 30, 2016 at 12:28 pm
One Problem: THIS DOES NOT WORK!!! I have “permanently” deleted my account 3 times in the last 95 days. It’s still active!!!
stellam
January 30, 2020 at 4:27 pm
1 year and half several sweary messages at twitter mgmt and still they send me how to instruction. deactivate 12 times in year and half. wrote 2 letters to twitter telling them to close my acct still nothing I can’t use it because of current format. Short of going to HQ and slapping some heads together but I can’t afford air fare. I lock my account and frequently change passwords to keep bots and scammers from using my account. I wish I had never started. FB the same thing they hold onto my info though told them I wanted to close. So if the owner of Twitter ever is in where I live going to kick him in the arse for all the idiocy this is to close an account. They suspended me more than once over tweeting too much and they change format over a year ago so I quit. their new format I cannot read or understand it to use it. So if anyone is near twitter HQ in the states can you tell them to eff off for me would make me feel better. Twitter is as much shyte as some of the idiots more famously known who are allowed to keep accounts and ok with ppl threatening other users which was the other reason why I left or trying to leave.
Bevy
October 1, 2016 at 5:24 pm
My Twitter accounts either do not deactivate bc my phone is logged in and I deactivate from my computer or deactivate early … after only a week of inactivity… maybe they know I will never come back LOL anti-social media u gotta love it NOT!
Jacquelyn
December 7, 2016 at 6:44 pm
I thought you were gonna tell us how to skip the 30 day wait and do it permanently. I don’t want to delete my account but I do think the 30 day wait is ridiculous. I remember when it used to be a 24 hour wait. So much better than 30 days,
michael stankey
January 27, 2017 at 10:59 am
I want to find my interests,like places or things,on twiitter,i know you can do this the first time,however I deleted account and then tried sign up again latter.Now I cant find it.This feature is when you sign up.