How to Delete or Deactivate Your Telegram Account: Step By Step Guide

How to delete Telegram account on iPhone, Android, and web platforms? Learn quick and simple steps to deactivate account on Telegram.

So, you have decided to part ways with the Telegram app. Okay, but how are you going to do it? Deleting your Telegram account isn’t as easy as you might think. Though the app is loved and used by many, it surely comes with several controversies that make it not the first app to consider when choosing the best messaging apps.    

Despite its claims of a privacy-first approach, the Telegram app lacks certain nuances that make it a fully secure application. This is one of the major reasons users opt for their competitor apps like WhatsApp or Signal. 

So, whether you want to shift to another app for these reasons or detox from the messaging game altogether, knowing how to delete your Telegram account instantly is critical to keeping your data safe and your chat secure. 

In this comprehensive Telegram deactivation guide, we will walk you through deleting a Telegram account from Android, iOS, and PC/Desktop platforms. We will also explain how to export your data before bidding farewell to the app.

Overview of Telegram

Starting from the top, Telegram was launched in 2013 by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. Since then, the app has become a frontrunner in the messaging app industry. With over 700 million monthly active users in 2023, according to Bankmycell, the app continues to grow in popularity. 

Telegram offers various services, including group chats, channels, file sharing, and voice calls. However, circumstances might arise when a user decides to delete a Telegram account permanently. The app generates revenue through its optional subscription-based service, Telegram Plus, and occasional crowdfunding campaigns.

Why You Might Want to Deactivate Your Telegram Account?

You might have signed up for Telegram as a privacy-focused messenger app. It is a solid messaging app with rich features. Though the platform offers many advanced functionalities, here are a few reasons why would you want to move ahead with the Telegram account deletion process. 

1. Telegram users have often experienced security issues while using the app. These involved hackers and metadata leaks. Due to these reasons, Telegram has been deemed unsafe by users. Users thus, choose to delete their Telegram account on iOS or Android. 

2. Many users opt for the Telegram Android account delete process as it allows anyone to delete messages. The platform does not notify users about it and hence gives participants less authority over their conversations. This is why many users cancel their Telegram accounts through their devices.

3. Users choose to deactivate their account on Telegram as it relies on MTProto. It is considered an unsecured protocol for messaging. Many users switch to social media apps with a more transparent structure. 

What Should You Know Before Deactivating Your Telegram Account?

Before moving ahead with the steps on how to deactivate your Telegram account, you should know what exactly happens when you choose to do it. Here’s what happens when you cancel your Telegram account. 

1. Once you delete your Telegram account on Android or iOS, it will permanently delete all your information. All contact lists, messages, groups, and channels are removed permanently. 

2. The process is irreversible. When you delete a Telegram account on iOS or Android, the process cannot be undone. 

3. If you are done with all the steps on how to deactivate your Telegram account and choose to sign up again, the information cannot be retrieved. All your messages, channels, and contacts cannot be restored. 

How to Delete a Telegram Account from Android

First, let’s talk about Android users. In Android, Telegram will not allow you to just willy-nilly delete your account instantly. Instead, it follows a clever approach that can delay or might even discourage the user from deleting the telegram account from Android. 

You can set an away limit to remove your Telegram account temporarily. This means that if the user does not use the Telegram app for a specific period, the app will deactivate your account permanently. 

Here are a few simple steps on how to delete a Telegram account permanently on Android:

• Firstly, you will need to open the Telegram app and go to Settings by clicking on the dropdown button.

• In the settings section, Tap on “Privacy and Security” to reach the next window

• Then, scroll down toward the bottom and locate the “Delete My Account.”
• There, you will see an “if away for” section;  click on it.

• Select the desired time after which you wish you would like Telegram to automatically remove your Telegram account.

• That’s it! If the user does not use the Telegram app for the selected period, then the Telegram account will be deleted automatically. 

Also Read - How to Delete a Snapchat Account

How to Delete Your Telegram Account from iOS

The steps required to remove the Telegram account from iOS platforms differ slightly from the Android version. Unlike Android, where you can’t instantly delete your account, deleting a telegram account in iOS in real time is possible. The iOS version allows its users to deactivate Telegram instantly. 

Let’s look at the steps on how to deactivate a Telegram account as an iOS user.

• Firstly, launch the Telegram app on your iOS device.
• Tap the 3-line dropdown and go to Settings by tapping the gear icon in the bottom right corner.
• Then, select “Privacy and Security”.
• Scroll down to locate the “Delete My Account” section.

• Tap on the “If away for” section and click on “Delete account now.”

• Then, you will see a follow-up screen. Tap on continue to proceed.

• Enter your registered phone number and click on continue.

• Finally, click on “Delete my account” to remove the Telegram account instantly. 

How to Delete a Telegram Account from a PC/Desktop?

The platform also offers you an option to delete your Telegram account permanently via any web browser. If you primarily use Telegram on your PC/Desktop. Here’s how you can delete or deactivate your Telegram account quickly.

• Open any preferred web browser and go to the Telegram Deactivation Page.

• Enter your phone number associated with the Telegram account and tap on the “Next” button.

Note: Remember to put the country code before putting your phone number.

• You will receive a confirmation code on your phone.
• Enter the code on the website and click on the “sign-in” button.

• On the following page, click on the delete account button. 

• Then, enter your reason for leaving and click on “Delete my account.”
• Finally, Telegram will once again ask you if you’re sure that you want to delete Telegram. Click on “Yes, delete my account.” 
• Voila! You have successfully deactivated Telegram.

How do you Export Data Before the Telegram Account Deletion Process?

If you fear losing important data during the Telegram account deletion process, we have you covered. Telegram doesn’t let you freeze your account or delete Telegram temporarily. So, if you want to export data from your account, you have to do it before actually deleting your account. Moreover, before bidding adieu to Telegram, exporting your data for safekeeping might make sense. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1- Download the Telegram app into your PC/Mac and sign in.

Step 2- Tap on the 3-line icon and go to Settings.

Step 3- Click on Advanced and scroll down until you find the Export Telegram Data option on your screen. 

Step 4- Tap on that section and choose the type of data you would like to export.

Step 5- Select the chats you wish to extract and choose whether you want to include media files in the export.

Step 6- Choose a storage location and tap “Export.”

Step 7- The app will then export your data. However, it might take a few minutes, depending on the size of the file.

Bonus Tips to Deactivate Account on Telegram

• You cannot temporarily deactivate your Telegram account through any device. If you wish to delete it temporarily, you can leave your account inactive. You can also uninstall the app to take a little break. 
• Leaving your Telegram account unattended for long can lead to permanent auto-deletion of your profile. The account is deleted automatically within 6 months of inactivity. 
• If you delete your Telegram account on Android or iOS, your groups can still function normally. The existing group admins will gain all the privileges. If you are the sole admin, Telegram will automatically assign an active member as the admin. 
• You can even delete your hacked Telegram account. If your account is hacked, you can automatically set it to automatically delete itself in a month. Here’s how you can do it- 

1. Open settings on your Telegram app
2. Tap on the Privacy and Security option
3. Under the Automatically Delete My Account, choose the If Away For option to one month.  You can also choose to delete the account automatically within three months, six months, or a year. 

Conclusion

To sum up, deleting your Telegram account is a pretty straightforward process, although the inability to delete the account instantly on Android devices sure makes things a little bit tricker. But besides that, ensuring your data and privacy are secure is the topmost priority, and that is the thing that Telegram does right.

By following these steps, you can bid farewell to the app while safeguarding your personal information.

We hope that this article will help you safely exit from the Telegram application across all platforms. Mobileappdaily is always striving to bring you the latest IT updates and lists of the best IT companies. If you also own or are part of an IT or digital marketing company, you can list your product and elevate your business growth with high-quality leads.