In the digital age, where our lives are intertwined with various online platforms, it is becoming increasingly important to have control over our online presence. Snapchat, a widely popular social media platform known for its transient nature, provides a platform for sharing disappearing snaps and immersive filters. However, there may come a time when you decide to part ways with Snapchat and regain your privacy or take a break from the digital world. Whether you have concerns about your online security, wish to detach from virtual distractions, or simply want to start fresh, knowing how to delete your Snapchat account is essential. In this article, we will guide you on how to delete Snapchat account, ensuring your online presence aligns with your desires and priorities.
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Reasons People Delete Snapchat Account Permanently
Snapchat burst onto the social media scene 2011 as an ephemeral messaging app where photos, videos, and texts disappeared after viewing. This impermanent, “off the record” style of messaging appealed to younger users looking for privacy.
Over time, Snapchat added more social media features like friend connections, stories, filters, lenses and more. While still wildly popular, some long-time users have grown disenchanted with Snapchat. Reasons people choose Delete Snapchat Account Permanently include:
- Privacy Concerns – Snapchat’s privacy promises have been murky at times. News of security breaches and leaked user data have made some uneasy.
- Too Addictive – Snapchat can be habit-forming and distracting. Some users want to break the addiction and regain focus.
- Life Changes – Priorities shift over time. For those moving on from certain friend groups or life stages closely tied to Snapchat, deleting it can represent a fresh start.
- Unhappy With Changes – Long-time users sometimes resent new Snapchat features and culture. Removing it is a form of protest.
- Lack of Use – If Snapchat sits unused for too long, deleting it can feel like digital clutter removal.
For those who have thought long and hard about leaving Snapchat for good, here’s everything you need to know about permanently deleting your account.
Overview of Permanent Deletion Process
Permanently deleting your Snapchat account is a multi-step process that takes at least 30 days to fully complete. Here are the main steps involved:
- Deactivate your Snapchat account – The first step is to deactivate your account within the Snapchat app. This removes your profile and data from active view, but doesn’t yet delete anything.
- Request account deletion – After deactivating, you need to submit an official account deletion request through Snapchat’s website. This initiates the deletion process.
- 30 day waiting period – After requesting deletion, there is a 30 day waiting period before your account is erased permanently. This gives you a chance to cancel the deletion if you change your mind.
- Permanent deletion – After 30 days, if you have not canceled the request, Snapchat will permanently erase your account and all associated data. Once past the waiting period, there is no way to recover any deleted information.
The key thing to understand is that deletion is not immediate. There is a mandatory 30 day period before permanent removal, giving you a window to reverse course if desired. And the process starts by first deactivating your account in the app itself.
How to Delete Snapchat Account Permanently
Deactivating Your Snapchat Account
The first step in permanently deleting your Snapchat account is deactivating it within the mobile app. Here is a step-by-step guide:
On Android
- Open the Snapchat app on your Android device.
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
- Tap the settings gear icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap “Delete Account” at the very bottom.
- Tap “Continue” to start the account deactivation process.
On iPhone
- Open the Snapchat app on your iPhone.
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
- Tap the settings gear icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap “Delete Account” at the very bottom.
- Tap “Continue” to start the account deactivation process.
Deactivating your account through the app is the first step, but your account will remain dormant and recoverable until you request permanent deletion through the Snapchat website.
Requesting Account Deletion
To permanently delete your Snapchat account, you need to submit a deletion request through the Snapchat accounts portal after first deactivating your account in the app.
Here is a step-by-step guide to submitting an account deletion request:
- Go to accounts.snapchat.com and log in with your Snapchat username and password.
- Click on the “My Account” option in the left sidebar menu.
- Scroll down and click on “Delete My Account” under the Account Actions section.
- You will be taken to a page asking “Are you sure you want to delete your account?” Click “Continue” to proceed.
- On the next page, enter your Snapchat password again and click “Permanently delete my account”.
- You will see a confirmation message that your account deletion request has been received.
At this point, your account will be deactivated but still recoverable for 30 days. After 30 days, all your Snapchat data will be permanently erased if you do not log back in.
The key things to note are:
- Account deletion can only be requested via the Snapchat web portal, not in the app.
- You need to log in with your current username and password.
- Follow the prompts to confirm your intent to delete the account permanently.
- The 30 day countdown starts once you submit the deletion request.
So those are the steps to successfully request permanent deletion of your Snapchat account through the accounts portal. Let Snapchat know you wish to erase your account, then wait 30 days for all data to be removed.
30 Day Waiting Period
After you submit the account deletion request, your Snapchat account will enter a 30-day deactivation period before being permanently deleted. During this time, your account will remain dormant and inaccessible to you. However, all of your data – including your snaps, chats, stories, friend connections, and more – will still be intact on Snapchat’s servers.
Think of this period as a time where your account is deactivated but not yet completely wiped from existence. You can still log back in and recover your account during these 30 days if you change your mind. But after the 30 day waiting period is over, there is no going back.
On the 31st day following your deletion request, all traces of your Snapchat account and data will be permanently erased. This includes your:
- Snaps and stories
- Chat history and memories
- Contacts list and friend connections
- Bitmojis linked to your account
- Snapchat trophies and scores
Once deleted, there is absolutely no way to retrieve anything tied to your Snapchat account. The deletion is final.
So in summary, the 30 day deactivation period gives you a buffer in case you regret deleting your account. But once it expires, Snapchat wipes your account clean from their system with no option for recovery. This makes the deletion permanent and irreversible.
What Gets Deleted
When you permanently delete your Snapchat account, the following information associated with your account will be erased completely after 30 days:
- Your Snapchat account and username
- All your personal profile information
- Your entire Snapchat friends list and friend connections
- All your sent and received Snaps
- All your Chat conversations and Chat history
- All your posted Stories
- All your saved Memories like photos, videos, etc.
- Your Snapstreaks and associated data
- Any custom Snapchat Bitmojis you created
- Your Snapchat settings and preferences
- Your Snap Map location data history
- Your linked Snapchat Charms
- Any saved Snapchat log in credentials or payment information
- Your entire Snapchat usage history and activity
Essentially, everything tied to your Snapchat account, including all your personal content and data shared on the platform, will be permanently deleted with no way to recover it. However, your external Bitmoji account will remain unaffected if it was not deleted. You would need to separately request deletion of your Bitmoji account if desired.
Recovering a Deleted Snapchat Account
You may be able to recover your deleted Snapchat account, but only during the 30 day waiting period after requesting permanent deletion.
Once you submit the account deletion request, your account is deactivated but still exists in Snapchat’s system. At this stage, logging back into Snapchat from the app will automatically cancel the deletion request and reactivate your account.
However, after 30 days have passed from the initial deletion request, there is no way to retrieve or restore your account. Snapchat permanently erases all data associated with the account, including your snaps, chats, stories, friend connections, and more. There is no recovering it after that point.
So if you change your mind about deleting your account, make sure to log back in within 30 days. But after the month long waiting period ends, no one – including Snapchat – can revive your deleted account. The deletion is irreversible at that stage. This underscores the importance of taking backups before starting the account deletion process, in case you may want to access any of that data in the future.
Taking a Backup before Deleting Your Account
Before deleting your Snapchat account permanently, it’s a good idea to take a backup of your data and chats in case you want to look back on them later. Here are a few things you can do:
Download Your Snapchat Data
Snapchat allows you to download the data associated with your account before deletion. This includes your saved photos and videos, stories, friend connections, chat logs and more.
To download your Snapchat data:
- Go to accounts.snapchat.com and login
- Click on “My Data”
- Request a download of your Snapchat data
- Snapchat will compile all your account info into a ZIP file for download
This can take a few days, so request it before starting the deletion process.
Save Important Chats
Your individual chat conversations won’t be included in the Snapchat data download. So if you have important chats you want to save as memories, make sure to screenshot or record them separately before deleting your account.
You can also use third party apps to backup your Snapchat chats before taking the deletion step.
Download Your Memories
Your saved Snapchat stories and memories can be downloaded to your camera roll. Open each memory inside the Snapchat app and save them to your phone’s storage. This will allow you to retain those special moments even after your account is gone.
Taking these backups ensures you have copies of your most important Snapchat data before erasing your account permanently.
Pros and Cons of Deleting Snapchat
Deleting your Snapchat account can have advantages and disadvantages depending on your situation. Here are some of the key pros and cons to weigh:
Privacy and Less Distraction
- Increased privacy – All your personal data, snaps, connections, and activities will be erased from Snapchat’s servers. Nothing will remain visible to other users.
- Avoid distraction – Deleting Snapchat can help reduce procrastination and compulsive checking of your account if you find the app to be a distraction. This may help improve productivity and focus.
- Digital minimalism – Removing social media accounts you no longer need can simplify your digital life and reduce your overall screen time.
Losing Access
- No access to memories – Your old snaps, stories, and chat history will be gone. You won’t be able to look back on special memories from the platform.
- Disconnection from friends – You’ll be disconnected from friends you only keep in touch with via Snapchat. Some relationships may fade if Snapchat was your main communication channel.
- FOMO – You may miss out on social events, conversations, trends, and connections happening on Snapchat that your peers are still involved in.
- Can’t reactivate easily – Recovering an account after permanent deletion is very difficult, unlike with other platforms. You can’t easily change your mind later.
Overall, assess your personal situation. If distraction and minimalism are your goals, deleting Snapchat may be beneficial. But if you highly value memories and connections on the platform, permanent deletion involves tradeoffs you may want to avoid.
Other Options Beyond Full Deletion
If permanently deleting your Snapchat account seems too drastic, there are a couple alternatives to consider first:
Temporarily Deactivate Your Account
Instead of permanently deleting right away, you can temporarily deactivate your Snapchat account through the app. This removes your profile from view and holds your data, but everything can easily be reactivated later if you change your mind.
To temporarily deactivate:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap your profile icon
- Tap the settings gear icon and scroll to the bottom
- Select “Temporarily deactivate account”
- Confirm your selection
Your account will then enter deactivated mode. Friends won’t be able to see your profile or snaps. You can reactive anytime by simply logging back into Snapchat.
Keep Using Snapchat, But Minimally
You don’t have to choose between completely deleting your account or using Snapchat the same as before. Consider cutting back on your Snapchat use if it has become distracting or time consuming.
Ways to minimize Snapchat usage:
- Turn off notifications so you aren’t constantly alerted
- Avoid posting stories frequently or viewing others’ stories
- Limit your snapping to close friends instead of large groups
- Check Snapchat just 1-2 times a day at designated times
Scaling back your Snapchat habits can help strike a healthier balance, without losing access to your account entirely.
I’m a writer, artist, and designer working in the gaming and tech industries. I have held staff and freelance positions at large publications including Digital Trends, Lifehacker, Popular Science Magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, IGN, The Xplore Tech, and others, primarily covering gaming criticism, A/V and mobile tech reviews, and data security advocacy.