How to Permanently Delete Your Snapchat Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

Snapchat, with its ephemeral messages and creative filters, has become a staple in the digital lives of millions. However, there are various reasons why someone might want to take a step back and delete their account. Whether you’re concerned about privacy, tired of the constant notifications, or simply looking for a digital detox, deleting your Snapchat account is a straightforward process, albeit one that requires a few deliberate steps. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know, ensuring a smooth and permanent departure from the platform.

Understanding Snapchat Deactivation vs. Deletion

Before we dive into the deletion process, it’s crucial to understand the difference between deactivating and deleting your Snapchat account. While both actions render your account inaccessible, they have different implications:

• Deactivation: This is a temporary measure. When you deactivate your account, it becomes invisible to other users, and you won’t receive notifications. However, your data and account information are still stored on Snapchat’s servers. You can reactivate your account by simply logging in again. Deactivation is not a feature that exists on Snapchat but rather is an interim state leading towards account deletion.
• Deletion: This is a permanent action. When you delete your Snapchat account, your account information, including your username, profile details, messages, and snaps, is permanently erased from Snapchat’s servers. This process takes 30 days to complete from the initial deletion request, after which your account will be permanently deleted. During the 30 day grace period, you can cancel the deletion request by logging in, reactivating your account.

This guide focuses on the permanent deletion of your Snapchat account, providing detailed steps for both the mobile app and the web browser.

Things to Consider Before Deleting Your Snapchat Account

Deleting your Snapchat account is a significant step. Before proceeding, it’s essential to consider the following:

• Data Loss: All your saved snaps, chats, memories, and other data will be permanently deleted. This includes all your friend lists, stories, trophies and chat histories. Ensure you’ve backed up any data you wish to keep.
• Irreversible Action: Once your account is permanently deleted after the 30-day grace period, it cannot be recovered. You will need to create a new account if you want to use Snapchat again.
• Usernames: If you have a username that you really like, be aware that the username will not be immediately available once the account is deleted. It typically takes a while, sometimes even a couple of months, for the username to be available for new account creation again.
• Contacting Friends: Notify your friends on Snapchat if you plan to delete your account so they can contact you through other means if needed.
• Alternatives: Think about alternative ways to stay in touch with your friends if Snapchat was your primary method of communication. Consider other messaging apps, social media platforms, or phone calls.

How to Delete Your Snapchat Account via the Mobile App

Most Snapchat users access the platform through their mobile devices. Here are the steps to delete your account using the Snapchat app:

1. Open the Snapchat App: Launch the Snapchat app on your smartphone (iOS or Android). Make sure you are logged in to the account you wish to delete.
2. Access Your Profile: Tap on your profile icon (your Bitmoji or profile picture) located in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. Go to Settings: On your profile page, tap on the gear icon (settings) located in the top-right corner of the screen.
4. Scroll Down to ‘Account Actions’: Scroll down through the settings menu until you find the section labeled “Account Actions.”
5. Tap ‘Delete Account’: Within the “Account Actions” section, tap on “Delete Account.”
6. Confirmation: You’ll be redirected to the Snapchat Accounts Portal in your mobile browser. You will be prompted to log in again, this is to ensure its you that is requesting the account deletion.
7. Enter Your Username and Password: Enter your username and password for the account you wish to delete, then press the log in button.
8. Account Deletion: After logging in, you will be redirected to the account deletion page. Here, the confirmation prompt will detail that your account will be deactivated immediately but will be fully deleted after 30 days if you do not log in again during this period. There will be a box confirming that you wish to proceed with the deletion of your account.
9. Confirmation Checkbox: Check the confirmation box to confirm you have read and understood the conditions of account deletion.
10. Tap ‘Continue’ or ‘Submit’: After checking the confirmation box, click the corresponding button to submit your deletion request. This button might be labeled “Continue” or “Submit”, depending on the version of the app you have.
11. Confirmation Message: Once your request has been accepted, a confirmation message will appear. It might say, “Account deactivated. Your account will be deleted permanently in 30 days.” Or similar phrasing.
12. 30-Day Grace Period: Your account is now deactivated and will be permanently deleted after 30 days. Important: If you log back into your account within these 30 days, your deletion request will be canceled, and you will be able to use Snapchat normally as though you never requested a deletion.

How to Delete Your Snapchat Account via Web Browser

If you prefer using a computer, you can also delete your Snapchat account through a web browser. Here’s how:

1. Open Your Web Browser: Launch your preferred web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) on your computer.
2. Go to the Snapchat Accounts Portal: Go to the Snapchat Accounts Portal by entering the following url into your browser address bar:https://accounts.snapchat.com/accounts/delete.
3. Log In: You will be prompted to log in. Enter your username or email address and the password associated with the Snapchat account you wish to delete.
4. Account Deletion: After logging in, you will be redirected to the account deletion page. Here, the confirmation prompt will detail that your account will be deactivated immediately but will be fully deleted after 30 days if you do not log in again during this period. There will be a box confirming that you wish to proceed with the deletion of your account.
5. Confirmation Checkbox: Check the confirmation box to confirm you have read and understood the conditions of account deletion.
6. Tap ‘Continue’ or ‘Submit’: After checking the confirmation box, click the corresponding button to submit your deletion request. This button might be labeled “Continue” or “Submit”, depending on the current webpage layout.
7. Confirmation Message: Once your request has been accepted, a confirmation message will appear. It might say, “Account deactivated. Your account will be deleted permanently in 30 days.” Or similar phrasing.
8. 30-Day Grace Period: Your account is now deactivated and will be permanently deleted after 30 days. Important: If you log back into your account within these 30 days, your deletion request will be canceled, and you will be able to use Snapchat normally as though you never requested a deletion.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While the deletion process is generally straightforward, you might encounter some issues. Here are a few common problems and their solutions:

• Forgotten Password: If you can’t remember your password, click on the “Forgot Password?” link on the login screen. You’ll be guided through the process of resetting your password via email or phone number associated with your account.
• Issues with the App: If the Snapchat app is malfunctioning, try updating the app to the latest version. If that doesn’t work, try clearing the app’s cache and data from your device settings. If the problem persists try uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
• Web Browser Issues: If you encounter any issues while deleting your account through the web browser, try using a different browser or clearing your browser’s cache and cookies.
• Unable to Delete: If you are unable to locate the delete option, make sure you are logged into the correct Snapchat account. Ensure you are following the above steps carefully. If the problem persists, try contacting the Snapchat support team directly through their contact form or by emailing them.
• Stuck on Login Page: If the login page isn’t loading properly, ensure you have a stable internet connection. Sometimes the server might have temporary issues, try again after a few minutes. If that still doesn’t resolve the problem, make sure that the Snapchat services are not down by using services like Downdetector.

How to Back Up Your Snapchat Data Before Deletion

Before deleting your account, you might want to save some of your data. Snapchat allows you to download your data in a zip file. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the My Data Website: Open your web browser and navigate to https://accounts.snapchat.com/accounts/downloadmydata
2. Login to your account using the username/email and password of the Snapchat account you wish to download your data from.
3. Click Submit Request: After you’ve logged in you will see a page where you will have the option to “Submit Request”, click this button to submit a request for your data.
4. Await the data to be gathered: Once you’ve submitted your request, Snapchat will gather your data which may take some time. You’ll receive an email when the data is ready to download.
5. Download the data: Once your data is ready, you will get an email with a link to download the zip file. This zip file may contain your chat history, your saved stories, and all the rest of your data.

Note that not all data is downloadable and that there is no guarantee that this process will be able to back up all of your data.

After Deleting Your Snapchat Account

Once you’ve initiated the deletion process and allowed the 30-day grace period to pass, your Snapchat account will be permanently deleted. Here’s what to expect:

• Account Inaccessibility: You will no longer be able to access your account. Your username will be unavailable, however, usernames can often take weeks or even months to be released and available again for use by new users.
• Data Erasure: All your data, including messages, snaps, and friends list will be permanently deleted from Snapchat’s servers.
• New Account: If you wish to return to Snapchat in the future, you will need to create a completely new account.
• Notifications: You will no longer receive any notifications from Snapchat unless you create a new account using a different username or email.

Conclusion

Deleting your Snapchat account is a straightforward yet permanent decision. It’s essential to consider all aspects before proceeding. This guide has provided a detailed step-by-step process for both the mobile app and web browser, along with information on what to expect after deletion. By following these instructions, you can ensure a smooth transition and a complete departure from the Snapchat platform. Remember to back up any important data before you initiate the deletion process and inform your friends of your decision, as this will be your final action on the platform.

If you have any more questions or encounter further problems you should reach out directly to Snapchat’s support team for further guidance. They will be able to help you more specifically with issues relating to your individual account.