You may think your social media networks have become an addiction rather than a helpful tool. Perhaps you simply want your free time back to do other things that give you more value and control over your life. Some people like to detox from social media use intermittently to take a break from some of the negativity found online or to focus on their mental health.

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• Can remove your personal data from data broker sites
• Provides continued removals every three months
• No 24/7 customer support

Our guide will show you how to delete your information from the following popular social media accounts:

• Facebook
• Twitter (X)
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Snapchat
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Pinterest

If you use one of the apps listed, keep reading to learn how to delete your social media account. This step-by-step guide will show you the best option for each one.

Should you delete, disable, or deactivate your account?

If you’ve decided to get off social media platforms, you need to know how you want to go about your plan. If you think you want to take a break and may return after a short time, you can deactivate or disable your account. Some platforms use these terms interchangeably to mean the same thing.

Alternatively, you may feel you want to remove all your personal information from social networks. If that’s the case, you probably want to delete your account. You also have other options if you have specific posts you don’t want to be shared. You can delete those old posts or adjust your privacy settings to show limited information.

What to know before deleting an account

Before you hit the delete button on your social media account, be sure to save anything you would want in the future. You may have photos or websites you saved that you want to keep. When you delete your account, you lose access to that personal information. Some social media sites will allow you to download your data before you delete your account. If not, you can take screenshots of what you want to keep before you get rid of your account.

How to delete your social media accounts

If you’ve decided that deleting your social media presence is the best course for you, all networking apps have ways to accomplish that goal. The steps will vary, but none of the sites make it too complicated.

The following are the most straightforward ways to delete your social media accounts through each one of these apps.

How to delete Facebook

1. On the Facebook site, go to your settings and select Settings and Privacy.
2. Click on Your Facebook Information.
3. Click on Deactivation and Deletion. Select Delete Account.
4. Click Continue to Account Deletion.
5. Enter your password and click Continue, then Delete Account.

An interesting point to note is that it still takes a couple of days for your Facebook account to be deleted. When you complete the steps above it’s considered a request, so Facebook won’t delete your account information for two or three days.

Also, you can still use your Messenger app if you’d like. That won’t reactivate your Facebook account. Conversely, if you want to delete your Messenger app, you must deactivate Facebook first. You can delete Messenger from the application settings menu.

How to delete Twitter (X)

1. Log in to your Twitter, or X, account through twitter.com.
2. Click on your profile icon and select Settings and privacy under Settings and Support.
3. Click on Your account, then click Deactivate your account.
4. Read the account deactivation information and click Deactivate.
5. Enter your password when prompted to confirm and click Deactivate again to continue.

Twitter won’t automatically delete your account. You can choose a deactivation period from 30 days to 12 months. After 30 days, your username will be removed and available for other users.

How to delete Instagram

1. On your web browser, open the Delete Your Account page and log in to Instagram.
2. Use the dropdown menu below Why do you want to delete [account name]?, and enter your password again. You must select a reason for deleting your account.
3. Click Delete [username].

After 30 days from the request date, your Instagram account and data will be permanently deleted. Like Facebook’s deactivation option, Instagram may take up to 90 days to complete the deletion process after your request.

How to delete TikTok

1. When you log in to TikTok, go to your Profile at the bottom right of the app.
2. Click the three-line icon at the top right and select Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Account > Delete account.

Your TikTok account will be deleted after 30 days of no use. Before that time, it will remain deactivated and invisible to the public.

How to delete Snapchat

1. From the internet or your Android device, go to the accounts portal and enter your username and password. If you’re using iOS, go to Settings in the Snapchat app.
2. Go to Account Actions and click Delete Account.

After your request for Snapchat account deletion, it will go into deactivation status for 30 days. After that, it will be deleted.

How to delete LinkedIn

1. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
3. Go to Account management under Account preferences, and click Change next to Close account.
4. Enter your password and click Close account.

You may be able to reopen your account within 14 days if you change your mind. Some items will be unrecoverable, such as endorsements, invitations, and followings.

How to delete YouTube

1. Sign in to YouTube.
2. From the left sidebar, click Settings.
3. Go to Channel > Advanced Settings. At the bottom, go to Remove YouTube Content. You may be required to enter login credentials.
4. Click on I want to permanently delete my content. Check the boxes to confirm the deletion.
5. Click Delete my content.

How to delete Reddit

1. Go to reddit.com, then Account Settings. You must go to the website to delete your account. It cannot be done from the app at this time.
2. Go to the Delete Account section and click Delete Account. If you used your Google account or Apple ID to create your account, go down to Connected Accounts and click disconnect next to the Google account or Apple ID you used.

You cannot reactivate your account once it’s been deleted. Your posts and comments will remain visible unless you remove your Reddit data.

How to delete Pinterest

1. Log in to your Pinterest account.
2. Go to Settings in your menu options.
3. Click Account management and go to Account changes.
4. Click Delete account, then select Continue.
5. Choose the reason you’re leaving and click Send email to delete your account.
6. Check your email to confirm you want to close the account.

How to delete the corresponding social media apps

As mentioned above, some of these accounts require you to log in to a browser. They don’t support deletion from their mobile apps, but you can still delete the apps from your smartphone.

How to delete an iPhone app

1. Touch and hold the app you want to delete.
2. Click Remove app.
3. Tap Delete App, then click Delete to confirm.

How to delete an Android app

1. Go to your Settings and click on Apps.
2. Select the app you want to delete.
3. Click Uninstall and press OK.

You can also delete apps from your Google Play Store by tapping your account profile image, then:

1. Click on Manage apps & device.
2. Go to the Manage tab and select the app you want to delete.
3. Check the box next to the app and press the trash can icon.
4. Click Uninstall.

FAQs

Bottom line

There are many reasons to delete your social media account. You may feel it makes you less productive or that you want to be more present with your family and friends. Sometimes the negativity on social media makes people feel more anxious, and a short reprieve helps them feel more grounded.

No matter what your reason for leaving the world of social media is, it’s not an impossible task to delete those accounts when you follow our guide. Most times a few short steps take care of it, depending on the platform and device. Many of these social media sites will also give you a window of time to reactivate your account.

With so much of your personal information available online, it’s crucial to stay safe on social media. Staying or leaving social media is a personal choice, but keeping your data secure should always be a top priority.

Use code PARTNER20 for 20% off

Learn More

On DeleteMe's website

---

• Can remove your personal data from data broker sites
• Provides continued removals every three months
• No 24/7 customer support

Author Details

Patti Croft

About the Author

Patti Croft is a freelance writer who specializes in all things technology. Her expertise includes antivirus software, online security strategies, and safety practices. She has a degree in Computer Information Systems and extensive experience working in the IT field. In her spare time, Patti is an avid reader and researcher, and loves spending time with her pets. She currently shares an office with her cat, Beau.