Telegram is a solid messaging app that keeps your chats encrypted and is rich with features. But if you're switching to a new messaging app, it's best to delete your Telegram account before you go.
Unfortunately, Telegram doesn't offer a direct switch you can flick in the app's settings. So, here are step-by-step guides showing you how to deactivate your Telegram account and how to delete your Telegram account.
Telegram doesn't let you temporarily shut your Telegram account. Once you delete Telegram, you can't undo the action and revive your account or read your old texts by just logging back in.
Thankfully, Telegram offers an export option on its desktop clients in case there are any conversations you'd like to save for future reference.
To use it, install the Telegram app on your PC and sign in. Click the three bars in the top-right corner to reveal the navigation menu and select Settings.
Now, click on Advanced and scroll all the way down until you find the Export Telegram Data option. Enter that and choose the type of data you'd like to export.
You can specifically pick which chats are extracted, whether to exclude public channels, whether the archive should include videos or GIFs, the export format, and more. You even have the ability to download only the stickers you've sent on Telegram in the past.
Click Export and, depending on the size of your data, Telegram will complete the extraction in a few minutes. Tap Show My Data to view the file.
By default, Telegram erases your account if it's inactive for six months. However, you can edit that setting and adjust how long Telegram should wait before deleting your profile. Besides six months, you can set it to a month, three months, or a full year.
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You'll find the self-destruct option in the Telegram Android and iOS apps' settings.
On the app, tap the three-bar menu button in the top-left corner and select Settings. Next, go into the Privacy & Security page and scroll until you reach the Delete my account section.
Here, select the If away for entry and define the new inactivity duration after which your account should self-destruct.
You can't deactivate your Telegram account temporarily. The only choice you have is to simply leave your Telegram profile inactive. If it helps, you can uninstall the Telegram apps from your computer and phone.
For those who can't wait a month, Telegram allows you to immediately kill your account and data as well. The tool is not present on any of the native apps and is only accessible on the web. This works on desktop as well as on any mobile browser.
To deactivate your Telegram account, head over to the My Telegram web portal, enter your Telegram phone number using the international number format, then click Next.
A confirmation code will be sent to you via Telegram and not by SMS, so ensure that you can access your Telegram account to retrieve the code.
Enter the code in the "Confirmation code" box and click Sign In.
On the next screen, click the Delete Account link. In the available text box, write your reason for leaving. Hit the Delete My Account button when you're ready.
Select the red Yes, Delete My Account option in the prompt and that's it. Telegram will delete your account and data permanently.
Before deleting your Telegram profile forever, it's best to understand the consequences of doing so.
When you delete your account, Telegram says it gets rid of all of your chats and data. Your account is terminated permanently and your messages, as well as contacts, are deleted beyond retrieval.
As for the channels and groups you built, they will continue to function normally even when you delete Telegram, and the existing admins will retain their privileges.
In case you're the sole admin, Telegram will randomly assign an active member as the new admin.
On top of that, Telegram won't let you set up a new account with the same phone number again for at least a couple of days. In addition, deleting an account that has been limited due to spam-related activity will not remove the ban.
Even though Telegram boasts some useful features, there are still several reasons why you may want to deactivate your Telegram account. Here are just a few reasons why you may want to delete Telegram:
With so many instant messaging apps available, there's a chance Telegram is not the best messaging app for your needs anymore. Maybe there's a new IM app in town, and you want to shift your conversations there, or you're worried about Telegram features that may be exposing your location.
Perhaps, some of your friends or family members are no longer on Telegram.
Hence, you're following them away from Telegram to new pastures in order to stay connected.
Popular messaging apps often know a lot about you. It's also possible you are not comfortable with Telegram's open policies and its broad range of communities. Multiple reports claim Telegram is a hotbed for illegal activity and hosts channels where users can easily download new movies or music tracks for free.
Telegram doesn't encrypt chats by default and its security model has been criticized by some. In comparison, its competitor Signal is generally viewed with more trust around security and privacy.
Telegram is a very competent messaging platform that's available across a host of platforms. However, if you've decided to quit Telegram, these methods will help you delete your Telegram account and preserve your chat data locally on your computer.
If you're still looking for a new home for your digital conversations, there are a number of Telegram alternatives you can try.
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Whether you’ve found another messaging app, or ended up with far too many of them, deleting your Telegram account might be the only option.
Unfortunately, Telegram doesn’t have a deactivation button within the app. Luckily we’ve found two simple ways to permanently delete your Telegram account, which we outline below.
Telegram is famous for being a secure alternative to other popular messaging apps. In most cases, we recommend using Telegram, but its understandable why some might want to delete their account:
In 2017, hackers spread malware to Windows computers via Telegram. It has also been deemed unsafe by organizations like Stiftung Warentest and the Committee to Protect Journalists. While Telegram is still quite secure, some might want to switch to other secure apps.Related articles
Leaving Telegram is irreversible, so here are a few points to consider before your account is deleted permanently:
Luckily, Telegram has made this process incredibly easy. Just make sure you have a device on hand that you want to save your chat logs to.
Now just pick the device to export your Telegram data.
As you might have noticed, there is no option to deactivate your account instantly within the Telegram app. This is because the deactivation process involves both visiting a dedicated webpage and taking action in the app. You can also set your account to auto-destruct. This option requires less effort but takes a little longer.
Read on to learn more about both options and choose one that’s best for you.
As a part of its security features, Telegram accounts are set for self-destruction after a certain time of inactivity. A default period is set to 6 months, meaning that if you don’t log into your Telegram account within that time, it will be deleted and your conversations will be gone forever.
You can’t disable the feature, but you can adjust the time after which your account would be deleted, ranging from 1 to 12 months. One of the ways to get rid of your account is set it to self-destruct after a month and then just wait. You can do so by following these steps:
If you don’t want to wait for your account to self-destruct, you can delete your account manually.
As you might have noticed, there is no option to deactivate your account within the Telegram app. Instead, you’ll have to visit a dedicated webpage.
That’s it! Your Telegram account is deactivated.
If you decide to use Telegram again, you might not be able to create a new account for several days after deactivation, so you’ll have to wait a bit to sign up again.
After deleting your Telegram account, you won’t be able to recover any associated data like chat history or contacts. To use Telegram again you’ll have to create a brand new account with your phone number. Your old account will be disabled forever, it’s all part of the deletion process.
Protecting your personal information is paramount to your safety, and since opening a Telegram account requires you to give your phone number, you could be left vulnerable to sim-swap attacks.
What’s more, Telegram’s end-to-end encryption is only provided as a default setting within the Secret Chats option. Only Secret Chats are protected by an extra layer of client-client security, where your data is stored separately from the Telegram server and can only be accessed via the device of origin.
That’s why you should always use a VPN to keep your device security extra sharp and help prevent any potential data leaks. The NordVPN app masks your IP address, preventing anyone from knowing your whereabouts and identifying you — any prying eyes will be left frustrated.
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Telegram is used by hundreds of millions of people all over the planet. You or your friends probably have an account in this messenger, which allows you to chat and read news in telegram channels. But it is possible that someday the moment will come, and you decide to delete your Telegram account . You can find the reasons for such a decision yourself, and we will tell you how to get rid of the profile in the messenger once and for all. nine0007
You can delete a Telegram account, but think carefully before that
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If you leave the profile on the current gadget, you can only enter it using your phone number. In addition, there is another nuance, which I will talk about a little later. In the meantime, about how to log out of your Telegram account :
After the exit, secret chats will be deleted
Despite the fact that in this case we are not talking about deleted Telegram account , after logging out you will lose all information from secret chats . They are stored on the current device and will be automatically deleted upon exit. This is the nuance that I casually mentioned earlier.
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It happens that you were in Telegram through the computer , but forgot to log out of your account and left on business with your smartphone. In this case, I propose to figure out how end sessions in Telegram . To do this, you will need:
Each session can be ended individually
Now Telegram will work only on the current device, and on all other devices you will exit, losing access to secret chats, if any. However, this happens every time you press the "Exit" button, even on a smartphone, even on a PC. nine0007
Telegram has an advanced security system, so you will not be able to delete someone else's Telegram account or, for example, get rid of your account with one touch. However, through the messenger application, you can set up automatic deletion of the profile after a period of inactivity:
The profile will be deleted after the specified period
The account will not disappear immediately, but only after a month or another period set in the settings. The report starts over as soon as you sign in to your account on one of your devices. Is it possible to delete an account in Telegram immediately? Yes! And I will talk about this in the next paragraph. nine0007
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Now let's talk about how to delete a Telegram account forever without resorting to a long wait for the expiration, after which an automatic removal. You can get rid of your account only through the web version of Telegram , but the application will also come in handy along the way:
The code will appear in the system chat
Think carefully before hitting the delete button
You can do the same on your smartphone or PC. Therefore, if you do not have a mobile device at hand, but you are authorized in Telegram on PC , then do the same, but only through the desktop version of the browser.
Usually, when we talk about deleting an account in a particular service (for example, Google ), we still have the opportunity to restore the profile for a certain amount of time. But, if you ask if is it possible to restore your Telegram account , you will get a negative answer to your question.
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Unfortunately or fortunately, it will not work to return the deleted profile, because after pressing the "Delete My Account" button, all information instantly disappears without the possibility further recovery. By the way, we are warned about this several times when we try delete Telegram account . All information messages are in English, which is why many people believe that everything can be returned to its place if you quickly change your mind. But no! First think, then act.
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RBC Trends explain what are the ways to leave Telegram without losing important data
A user may want to delete their Telegram account if they are worried about their security. When installing Telegram, the application requests access to the contact list on the smartphone. It also collects other data about the user's IP address and device type. All this information is stored for about a year. nine0007
Deleting an application deletes correspondence, photos and videos, as well as other data that was not previously downloaded to the device. However, the chats created by the user are saved, as well as his messages in them. They will need to be removed manually.
There is no account recovery function in Telegram.
Telegram has a function of account self-destruction. The messenger itself deletes profiles if they have not been logged in for a long time. This function can be activated independently. For this you need:
To delete your Telegram account from a PC, you will need to do the following:
