Telegram is one of the most popular instant messaging apps out there. Especially now, with WhatsApp updating its policies, Telegram is a great WhatsApp alternative to use. However, the WhatsApp policy change has made people more aware about online privacy, and many users are switching to more secure chat apps such as Signal. If you also don’t want to continue using Telegram and would like your information to be removed from their servers, you can do that pretty easily. Here’s how to delete your Telegram account permanently.
Note: Don’t know which chat app to use? Check out our article on WhatsApp vs Telegram vs Signal, and make the right decision.
How to Permanently Delete Telegram Account (2021)
There are a couple of ways you can delete your Telegram account. You can go through the messenger app on your iPhone or Android device, or you can use your web browser. We will be discussing both the methods here. And if you’re wondering what happens to your data, we will discuss that here as well.
As usual, you can skip over to any section you’re interested in by using the table of contents below.
1. Schedule Telegram Account Deletion
The first method is actually one that’s enabled by default on every Telegram account. Basically, if you don’t use your Telegram account for a period of six months, your Telegram account will get terminated.
That said, you can change this time period based on your preferences from the Telegram app. Here’s how to do that.
- In the Telegram app, tap on ‘Settings’ and then go to ‘Privacy and Security’.
- Here, tap on ‘If Away For’ and select the time period after which you want to schedule your Telegram account for deletion.
You can choose between 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. You can then delete your Telegram app, and after the chosen time period, Telegram will delete your account from its servers.
2. Delete Telegram Account Instantly
The previous method for deleting Telegram accounts is nice and all, but what if you want to delete your account immediately? Fortunately, you can immediately delete your Telegram account as well. Although you will have to use a web browser for this. Here’s how.
- On your browser, go to the Telegram account management page and log in with your phone number.
- Click on ‘Delete account’.
- Enter a reason for leaving Telegram and click on Delete My Account.
- You will see a confirmation dialog box pop up, simply click on ‘Yes, delete my account’ and you’re done.
3. What Happens to Your Data after Deleting Your Account?
Now that you’ve deleted your account, you may be wondering what happens to all your data on Telegram. Well, here’s what deleting an account ensues.
- All messages, groups, and contacts associated with your account will be deleted from Telegram servers.
- However, groups you’ve created will continue existing for any of your contacts that were a part of them. Your contacts will be able to continue chatting on those groups.
- Your contacts will also still have their copy of messages you’ve sent to them.
- Telegram account deletion is permanent so you won’t be able to restore your account once you’ve deleted it.
- That said, you can always sign up for a new account with the same phone number if you want to come back to Telegram. However, you may have to wait a few days before signing up.
If you’ve been wanting your messages to not be available to your contacts as well, unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about that. However, you can use Telegram’s self-destructing messages feature to ensure messages get deleted automatically after a set time.
4. FAQs
Q. Can I get my Telegram account back after deleting it?
No, once you delete your account it’s permanently gone. You can create a new account with the same phone number, however.
Q. Does deleting Telegram account remove my messages from my contacts’ chats?
No, deleting your account will not delete messages you’ve sent to your contacts.
Q. Can I use Telegram with the same phone number again after deleting account?
You can sign up with the same phone number after deleting your account. However, you will not get back any of your groups, folders, etc.
Q. My Telegram account got deleted automatically?
Telegram automatically deletes your account if you’ve been inactive for a period of 6 months. You can change this setting in the Telegram app.
Easily Remove Your Data from Telegram Servers
Telegram is pretty good as far privacy is concerned. However, if you’ve been looking to delete your account, hopefully this article has helped you understand how to do just that, and what happens after you delete your account.
While you’re at it, since you deleted Telegram, you can check out some Telegram alternatives to continue texting your friends and family members. If you have any questions or doubts, let us know in the comments and we will try our best to answer them.
Satyam Kumar
Vikhyat Rishi
