How to Delete Your X Account
X (formerly known as Twitter) has been through this over the last few years: Elon Musk took control, fired a ton of people , destroyed the credibility and integrity of profile verification , considered selling your location and phone number data , made everyone’s personal circles public. , allowed hate speech and misinformation to be fueled and fueled , and became so political that he was tapped to lead a federal department during President Donald Trump’s second term .
If all of these changes have helped you get through it, or you simply want to reduce your time on social media , you can deactivate or delete your account. Before you do anything, download your tweets . Unlike other social networks, deleting your X account is relatively easy. However, there is one caveat that allows you to remove it once and for all.
Consider not completely deleting your account.
First, this is important: It may be best not to delete your account. If you completely destroy an account, someone else could take over your username, which is a concern for anyone who has a public identity and a username that has been tied to them for years. If your account is connected in any way to your work or name, a safer option is to pay a few dollars to a deletion service like the appropriately named Tweet Deleter or Delete Tweet to get rid of all your posts and likes, then privatize all your settings. This way, you retain ownership of the account linked to you, but there is nothing on it.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that no bad guy will steal your username and post a bunch of inappropriate stuff, but if it bothers you even a little, don’t delete. However, if you insist, here’s how.
Upload your X data
Whether you dislike X because of Musk or because he’s been sucking your life dry all these years, you have to admit those years were pretty fun. You probably got distracted, ran through numbers a few times, or shared work or ideas that were meaningful to you. Before you get rid of your account, be sure to download your data, which will create a ZIP file of not only your posts, but also your likes, private messages, and more.
Log into your browser and click ” More ” in the sidebar, then ” Settings & Privacy “. You’ll be prompted to enter your password, then view a list of additional options, with ” Your Account ” at the top. By clicking on it, you will find “ Download an archive of your data ”. By clicking on it, you will receive an in-app notification letting you know the file is ready to download. Keep in mind that this may take up to 24 hours, so do not delete or deactivate anything until everything is complete.
How does X relate to “deactivation”
X does not allow you to completely delete your account. Rather than risk users throwing away all their profiles when they finally click, the site wants to take advantage of a cooling-off period by “deactivating” the account. When you decide to deactivate your account, it will feel like it is gone forever since your name, username and profile will not be available on X. However, the account still exists and you can restore it if you want. change course.
Keep in mind that this is not always the case. X will delete your account 30 days after you click the “Deactivate” button. Don’t treat this option as if you’re putting your account on the back burner: while this is a good thing, X doesn’t delete your profile immediately, the 30 days will go by quickly and there will be no way to go back after that month. up.
How to Deactivate Your X Account on Desktop and Mobile
To deactivate X in a web browser, do the same as you did to get the archive: click More in the menu on the left, then select Settings & Privacy . To get started on iOS or Android, tap your profile icon and select Settings & Privacy . On all platforms, select ” Account ” or ” Your Account “, then scroll down to the bottom and select ” Deactivate Your Account “. Here X gives you the full details I’ve already covered, including alternative routes instead of deactivation, such as changing your @username.
Unlike some other platforms, the process is the same on the mobile app. You simply start by tapping your profile picture in the top left corner of the screen and then follow the same series of steps: Settings & Privacy > Your Account > Deactivate . Entering the password after clicking the button will make it permanent (for 30 days anyway, and then eventually forever).
Keep in mind that search engines may still store some of your data and X messages even after deletion, and your archiving request must be completed before deactivation, even if the company’s systems retain the data after you get rid of the account. .