How to Delete Telegram Account?

Telegram, at its core, is just like any other messaging platform or app. That means it possesses the same risks as other messenger apps at its core. And if that bothers you or you want to shift to a new better Messaging app, it is wise to delete your Telegram Account first before moving onto a new app.

With that being said, deleting your account should not be an impulse decision. Once deleted, you’ll lose everything from that account. So keeping that in mind, here are a few things you can do before you deactivate/delete your Telegram account permanently:

Things you should do before deleting your Telegram Account!

• Inform your regular Telegram Contacts – It is always a good gesture to inform your regular Telegram contacts about your deleting your Telegram account. And let them know if they can contact you on some other messaging app after you delete your account.
• Transfer Group or Channel ownership – If you are a part of Telegram Groups with multiple admins, they will continue to function as it is even after you leave Telegram. However, if you were the sole Admin for any Telegram Group, Telegram will automatically transfer the admin rights randomly to an active member of that group.
  That’s why it is wise to appoint someone you trust as Admin after you are gone from the app. So in the future, if you happen to join Telegram again, you can always become a part of that group or channel by contacting that person.
  But in case you don’t want any of these Groups/Channels to exist, you should manually delete such groups/channels before you deactivate your account on Telegram.
• Export your Telegram Data – Thankfully, Telegram allows its users to download all of their data. If you want any conversations or other data for future reference, you can easily export all of it on your computer in a few easy steps. (Head over to the FAQ section of this Article) This data will include all the information that Telegram has on you, including chats/conversations, media files, and a contact list.

How to Delete Telegram Account Permanently?

Do note that, Deleting your Telegram account will delete all your data stored with Telegram. And you cannot undo this. Currently, there are two possible ways to get rid of your Telegram account.

1. Deleting Telegram Account via Self-Destruct Feature

Using the Self-Destruct feature of Telegram, you can instruct Telegram to delete your account after a certain period of inactivity. It is set to ‘Six Months‘ by default, but you can change it to ‘One Month.’ Doing so will automatically delete your Telegram after a month of inactivity.

Here is how you can set your Telegram account to delete itself automatically after a month:

1. Open the Telegram app on your device and then open Settings.
2. Inside Settings, head over to Privacy and Security.
3. There, look for the ‘If Away For‘ option under the ‘AUTOMATICALLY DELETE MY ACCOUNT‘ section and tap on it.
4. From the list, select ‘1 month‘ and delete the Telegram app from your device.

Now you will have to wait for a month and let Telegram delete your account automatically. If you change your mind, you can always log in to your Telegram app within a month and change the self-destruct to a longer duration.

2. Deleting Telegram Account Manually using Telegram Web Portal

If you don’t want to wait for a month to delete your Telegram Account, you can opt for manual deletion. But unlike other messaging platforms, you can’t just flip a switch to delete your Telegram account instantly. Other messaging apps let you delete your account from the app itself. But with Telegram, you’ll have to go to the Telegram Deactivation page on a web browser and request to delete your Telegram account.

Here is how to delete your Telegram account instantly using Telegram Web Portal:

1. Visit Telegram Web Portal from here, log in using your phone number in the correct international format, and click ‘Next‘.
2. Telegram will now send you a confirmation code on the Telegram app on your phone. Enter that code inside the ‘Confirmation Code‘ field on the Telegram Web Portal and hit the ‘Sign In‘ button.
3. After successful login, you will get redirected to the ‘Delete your Account?‘ page. Here you can mention the reason why you are leaving Telegram. Or, click on the ‘Delete My Account button to proceed further.
4. A popup with the title ‘Are you sure?‘ will appear. There click on the ‘Yes, delete my account button to delete your Telegram account permanently.

It will take some time before Telegram completely removes your account and the data associated with it. While that happens, You can delete the Telegram app from all your devices and have that last sip of your coffee.

Final words: Deleting Telegram account forever?

As you can see, you can quickly delete your account on the Telegram app. On top of that, it is pretty reassuring that Telegram also lets you export your data beforehand, and once deleted, everything associated with your account will be off their server.

However, if you plan on sticking to Telegram, you’d read our guide on finding and joining amazing groups on Telegram.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)