There are many reasons that you may want to delete your Twitter account. Now that Elon Musk is set to take over, there could be some radical changes on the way for the social media platform that may just tip you over the edge.
If you’d like to get rid of your account (because of Musk, or for other reasons), then we have everything you need to know for deactivating Twitter – both on mobile and on PC. You can also read up on the ways that Elon Musk may change Twitter in the near future, and why Twitter’s edit button would be a huge mistake.
How to deactivate and delete your Twitter account
Deactivating your Twitter account is the same process as permanently deleting the account. If you want to reactivate it, you’ll need to log back into your account within 30 days. After that time, you won’t be able to access your account or find your previous data.
Mentions of your account from other users will still exist on Twitter. In addition, the company may still store some of your data for security reasons.
You must be logged in to your account on your device – here are the steps you need to take:
How to deactivate Twitter on PC
- On your homepage, click on the ‘More’ button with the three dots on the left-hand side, and then tap ‘Settings and privacy’
- Click ‘Your account’, and then select ‘Deactivate your account’
- Read through the terms and conditions and then confirm your choice by selecting ‘Deactivate’ in red
How to deactivate Twitter on mobile
The process is largely similar for the Twitter app on iOS and Android:
- From your home screen, click on your profile photo, and then select ‘Settings and privacy’ from the dropdown menu
- Tap ‘Your account’
- Tap ‘Deactivate Account’
- Read through everything and then confirm your choice by selecting ‘Deactivate’
If you intend to create a new account using the same name, be sure to change it on your old account first – that name won’t be available to use by new accounts during the 30-day deactivation period.
Twitter has no control over content indexed by search engines like Google. You can take these steps separately by visiting the Google help pages.
Can I download Twitter data?
Yes. Before you deactivate your Twitter account and risk permanently losing your data if you don’t log back in within 30 days, it may be worth downloading a copy of your data. Here is how to do it on different devices:
How to download Twitter data on PC
- On your homepage, click on the ‘More’ button with the three dots on the left-hand side, and then tap ‘Settings and privacy’
- Click ‘Your account’, then select ‘Download an archive of your data’
- Twitter should then prompt you to verify your password
- If you have two-factor verification on, you can choose to get an email or text to confirm it is you
- Once you have verified, click on ‘Request archive’
- It can take up to 24 hours for your data to be retrieved, and you will be notified once it is ready
How to download Twitter data on mobile
Twitter blocks screenshots on parts of this process, but the steps are largely similar to what you will find on PC:
- From your home screen, click on your profile photo, and then select ‘Settings and privacy’ from the dropdown menu
- Tap ‘Your account’
- Tap ‘Down an archive of your data’
- Enter your password
- Verify your account via email or text
- Once you have verified, click on ‘Request archive’
- It can take up to 24 hours for your download to be available
