Is It Time to Delete Tinder? A Detailed Guide

Have you found true love and don’t need to swipe left anymore? In this guide, we’ll show you how to delete your Tinder account.
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Are you ready to cancel your Tinder account for good? Maybe you’ve found your true love and no longer need a dating app profile. Perhaps you simply want to take a break from online dating or tidy up your social media footprint.

Rest assured, deleting a Tinder account is a straightforward process. Whether you have a free account or a paid subscription, we’ll show you how to delete your Tinder account when you no longer want to use the service.

In this article
How to delete a Tinder profile
How to cancel a Tinder subscription
How to deactivate Tinder
Why should I delete my Tinder account?
FAQs on how to delete your Tinder account
Bottom line

How to delete a Tinder profile

Deleting your Tinder profile may have different steps depending on whether you use the app or the Tinder website. We’ll give you the specific steps below.

How to delete your Tinder account on the Tinder app

  1. Sign in to the Tinder app on your device.
  2. Click on the profile icon.
  3. Go to your account settings.
  4. At the bottom of the page, click Delete Account.

How to delete your Tinder account through the Tinder website

  1. On your preferred web browser, go to Tinder.com.
  2. Tap on your profile icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. At the bottom of the screen, click Delete Account.

Keep in mind that deleting the Tinder app only on your device doesn't delete your Tinder account. Follow the instructions above to complete the full deletion process, then you can uninstall the app.
 

How to cancel a Tinder subscription

If you have a paid Tinder subscription, these steps will differ when you wish to cancel your membership. Below are steps on how to cancel Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscriptions on your preferred device.

How to cancel your Tinder subscription from an iOS device

If you purchased your Tinder subscription through Apple’s App Store, you can cancel it directly from your iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap on your name, then click on Subscriptions.
  3. Choose the Tinder subscription you want to cancel.
  4. Tap on Cancel Subscription.

How to cancel your Tinder subscription from an Android device

If you purchased your Tinder subscription through the Google Play Store, you can cancel it directly from your Android device:

  1. Open your Google Play app.
  2. At the top right of the screen, tap the profile icon.
  3. Click on Payments & subscriptions, then click Subscriptions.
  4. Select the Tinder subscription you want to cancel.
  5. Tap on Cancel subscription.

How to cancel your Tinder subscription through the Tinder website

The following steps are for users who have purchased Tinder directly from the website:

  1. Go to Tinder.com and sign in to your account.
  2. Tap on your profile icon.
  3. Click Manage Payment Account.
  4. Click Cancel Subscription.

How to deactivate Tinder

If you’re trying to stay safe online but are still on the fence about completely leaving the online dating community, you can deactivate your Tinder account to hide your dating profile from potential matches. That way, you can take a break from swiping but you can still get back into the game later without having to create a new Tinder account.

How to deactivate your Tinder account

  1. Go to the Tinder app on your mobile device or go to Tinder.com.
  2. Tap your profile icon.
  3. Go to Settings, then Show me on Tinder, and turn off this selection.

Why should I delete my Tinder account?

If you’ve wondered whether it’s a good idea to delete Tinder, there are some valid reasons to get rid of the app and delete your account. Since the app is popular, that makes it a target-rich environment for online dating scams. Some scammers will use the app to trick you into thinking you’ve made a love connection, so they can take your money or steal private information. If anyone tries to convince you to send them money or gifts, that’s a red flag and you may be the target of a catfishing scheme.

Bots are similar to catfishing. Using bots, scammers set up fake profiles to lure you into clicking on malicious links or sending photos. Sometimes this happens when you change your location on Tinder because it widens the dating net for more users to see your profile.

There are also privacy concerns with Tinder. In 2020, Tinder was accused of illegally selling user data.[1] The complaint came from the Consumer Council of Norway. If you’re curious about whether Tinder shares your data, it appears your information gets passed on to about 45 other affiliates of Match Group, which owns Tinder.[2]

In 2018, Tinder was also shown to be missing basic encryption for photos and lacking HTTPS encryption on the iOS and Android mobile apps. This information was discovered by security researchers.[1] Tinder did add the encryption after getting caught, but we have to wonder how long this would’ve gone on without security researchers pressing the issue.[3]

Then in 2020, Tinder had a severe data breach when over 70,000 images of women were shared online.[4] These findings are all legitimate reasons for deleting your Tinder account.

Looking to do a clean sweep of all your online dating profiles? Learn how to delete your e-Harmony account in 5 easy steps.

How to protect your data online

If you want to protect your personal data online, whether you use Tinder or not, there are software tools that can help, including VPNs and data removal services. Here are some popular options:

  • Incogni: Incogni scans over 100 websites to find data brokers who are selling your personal info. If Incogni finds anything, it works to remove your data by submitting removal requests on your behalf, which makes the process easy and automatic.

    Get Incogni | Read Our Incogni Review

  • DeleteMe: DeleteMe scans over 700 websites for your personal data and can send removal requests on your behalf. DeleteMe also sends privacy reports every three months so you can track your information.

    Get DeleteMe | Read Our DeleteMe Review

  • ExpressVPN: If you want a VPN to encrypt your private data, but without slowing down your internet speeds too much, then ExpressVPN is a good choice. It has top-notch security protocols and fast connection speeds.

    Get ExpressVPN | Read Our ExpressVPN Review

  • NordVPN: NordVPN has thousands of servers available and its plans are priced affordably. You can also get tools like an ad blocker and malicious site blocking as part of your NordVPN subscription.

    Get NordVPN | Read Our NordVPN Review

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FAQs on how to delete your Tinder account


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Can you delete messages on Tinder?

You cannot delete individual messages on Tinder, but you can remove entire conversations. The only way to do this is by unmatching someone, which means you’ll disappear from their match list, and in return, they’ll disappear from yours. If you decide to do this, you can go to your match’s profile, and press the menu icon and select Unmatch.


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Why can’t I delete my Tinder account?

If you can’t delete your Tinder account, you may have a weak internet connection and should try again later. A less likely reason could be that you’ve gotten banned from Tinder. If that’s the case, you’ll receive a message letting you know when you attempt to log in to your account. You will still need to cancel your subscription to prevent future payments.


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Can I hide a Tinder profile?

You can hide your Tinder profile easily by going to the app and clicking on your profile tab. From there, you’ll need to access Settings and turn off Show me on Tinder.


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What do my matches see when I delete my account?

When you delete your Tinder account, your matches won’t be able to see you anymore. You’ll also lose any messages associated with the account.

Bottom line

Now that you know how to delete your Tinder account, you can follow the steps we have outlined for you. And if you merely want to take some time between matches, you can deactivate your profile and jump back in whenever you’re ready. 

Many users have found that social media can become a distraction and an unhealthy habit. Whether it’s Tinder or other popular applications, you may want to delete your social media accounts for a while to give yourself a break, focus on other things, and protect your personal data from apps. It’s good to know you have some easy options for those times. 

And when you're ready to get back in the game, explore services like the best VPNs to protect your data online.

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Author Details
Patti Croft is a seasoned writer specializing in technology, with three years of experience. With a B.S. in Computer Science and a background as a technical analyst and security specialist, she covers a range of topics like data security and parental control software.

Citations

[1] Tinder 

[2] Privacy Policy 

[3] Tinder finally encrypted everyone’s photos

[4] Grindr, Tinder and OkCupid apps share personal data, group finds