Delete Telegram Account Permanently in 2 Easy Ways
If you’re wondering how to delete a Telegram account, you can either opt for the self-destruction feature or remove it immediately using a web browser. Go through this guide to find out the steps to perform these methods.
In the arena of personal messaging, Telegram is a popular name besides WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to send messages. Because of the concern about online privacy and security on other messaging platforms, many people switched to Telegram.
If you aren’t happy with Telegram or want to leave this platform for any other reason, it’s better to delete the Telegram account permanently. Read on to know the best methods to remove your account from the Telegram app.
What Is Telegram?
Telegram is a messaging service, which is available for both iOS and Android users. You can also install Telegram on Linux. It started its journey in 2013 and currently boasts around 700 million active users/month. Being an open-source API and a privacy-focused platform, Telegram is different than its counterparts.
It uses high-end encryption to secure your contacts and communications. Also, it supports the use of the same account from multiple devices (needs SMS verification) and multiple accounts on the same device.
Reasons to Delete Telegram Account
There could be various reasons why you may not want to continue using Telegram and close your account permanently. Here are some top reasons:
1. The most obvious reason to delete Telegram account is that you don’t wish to use it any longer. In case you’ve found a better app for messaging with your family and friends, there is no reason to keep your account on this app.
2. Telegram is a messaging platform with minimum supervision. People often use it to share newly released movies. It’s not only illegal but also has a negative impact on the movie industry. If you don’t support this, you can say goodbye to Telegram forever.
3. You use social media or instant messaging channels to communicate with your friends. If your friends leave Telegram and switch to some other platform, you’ll have no reason to continue using it.
4. You may want to stop using Telegram if you don’t support any of its policies or if it doesn’t go with your personal ideology. For similar reasons, you might also want to remove your Twitter profile.
How to Delete a Telegram Account Using Self-Destruction Settings
Telegram offers a security feature named Self-destruction. Using this feature, you can make sure that your Telegram account gets deleted if you remain inactive for a particular period. The default time set in this feature is six months, but if you want to, you may change it.
- Open your Telegram app from your smartphone and choose the Settings option.
- Select Privacy and Security.
- Scroll down to the option Delete My Account if I’m Away For.
- The default option will be 6 months. You can change it to other options like 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year.
To use this method effectively, you need to refrain from using the app for the time range you set. If you change your mind within that period, you can simply open the app again to reset the self-destruct timer.
How to Delete a Telegram Account Immediately
If you don’t want to wait and get rid of your account without any delay, there is a way for you as well. While the mobile app of Telegram doesn’t come with any ‘delete account’ option, you can learn how to delete a Telegram account by accessing it through a web browser on both desktop and mobile.
- Use any web browser to visit the Telegram Deactivation Page.
- Now is the time to enter your phone number (+country code – city or carrier code – phone number) used for Telegram communication. Click on Next. Don’t close the page.
- You’ll receive a confirmation code through your Telegram app.
- Enter the code on the respective field of your browser, and then, click on the Sign In button.
- Next, the page will ask the reason behind leaving Telegram. You can write any reason or leave it empty. However, don’t forget to click on Done.
- When prompted for confirmation, click on Yes, delete my account.
Troubleshooting: Not receiving the confirmation code?
A common stumbling block at the login step is not knowing where to look for the confirmation code. Telegram sends this code inside the Telegram app itself — not by SMS and not by email. Keep the deactivation page open in your browser, then switch to any active Telegram session on your mobile or desktop device to find the code waiting as a message.
If you cannot access an active Telegram session — for example, because you are locked out by two-step verification or have otherwise lost access to your account — you will need to restore account access before you can complete the deletion process.
FAQs on How to Delete a Telegram Account
What Happens When You Delete Telegram Account?
Before you proceed, you should be aware of the consequences. First of all, a deleted Telegram account is unrecoverable. When you choose to close the account, all your messages (text, audio, video) and other related data will be removed from the Telegram servers.
However, if you’ve created or joined any group, those will continue to exist. Also, you need to manually delete the Telegram app from your smartphone.
In case you want to join Telegram again, you need to create a new account as the old one will be unavailable. When you open a new account after this, you may need to wait some hours or even some days, as Telegram will keep your phone number temporarily blocked on its platform.
Here is a quick checklist of what to expect before you confirm deletion:
- Deletion is permanent and irreversible — there is no way to recover a deleted Telegram account or any of its data.
- All your data is wiped from Telegram’s servers — this includes chats, media, contacts, and all other account data.
- Your profile shows as “Deleted Account” — in any one-on-one or group chats where you previously participated, your name will be replaced with “Deleted Account.”
- Groups and channels are not automatically deleted — any groups or channels you belonged to will continue to exist on Telegram after your account is removed.
- Groups and channels you created remain active without you — if you were the creator, the group or channel stays live. Any existing admins retain their rights and can continue managing it independently.
- Re-registration with the same number may be temporarily blocked — Telegram may prevent you from immediately registering a new account using the same phone number. You may need to wait hours or even days before the number becomes available again.
How to Delete Telegram Account on iPhone?
On iPhone, the Telegram app does not include a direct “Delete Account” button. To permanently delete your account, you need to use a web browser and complete the process through Telegram’s deactivation page.
- Open Safari or any other browser on your iPhone.
- Go to https://my.telegram.org/auth?to=deactivate.
- Enter the phone number linked to your Telegram account, then tap Next. Keep the browser page open.
- Open your Telegram app to retrieve the login code — Telegram sends this code inside the app, not by SMS or email.
- Enter the code in the browser and tap Sign In.
- Select Delete My Account, enter a reason if prompted, and confirm by tapping Yes, delete my account.
Set Telegram to auto-delete after inactivity on iPhone
If you prefer to let Telegram delete your account automatically after a period of inactivity, you can set the self-destruction timer inside the app instead:
- Open the Telegram app and navigate to Settings
- Select Privacy and Security
- Scroll down until you find the If Away option
- Tap on the 6 months.
- There’ll be options such as 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Choose whichever you want.
- Once you select it, the account will be deleted automatically after you remain idle for the selected number of months.
Deleting the Telegram App vs. Deleting Your Telegram Account
A common misconception is that uninstalling the Telegram app from your iPhone, Android device, or desktop removes your account. It does not. When you delete the app, your account remains fully active on Telegram’s servers — your phone number stays registered, your chat history is preserved, and your profile remains visible to other users.
Account deletion is a separate manual action that must be completed through Telegram’s deactivation page at my.telegram.org/auth?to=deactivate. The only built-in in-app option for eventual account removal is the inactivity self-destruction timer described earlier in this guide, which delays deletion until after a set period of inactivity rather than removing the account right away.
It is also worth noting that Telegram does not offer a temporary “deactivate account” mode comparable to some social platforms. Your choices are limited to keeping the account active, setting the inactivity timer, or permanently deleting it through the web-based deactivation page.
Conclusion
Now you know how to delete a Telegram account using both the self-destruction setting and the immediate deactivation method via the web. If you choose not to use Telegram anymore, deleting your account ensures your data gets removed permanently. This step also eliminates the chance of hackers getting their hands on it.
Now that you know the easy steps involved, anyone can try that out. Also, if you want to continue using it and add an extra security layer, you can use the best free VPN.
