You may find yourself using Reddit more often than you’d like. The addictive nature of the site leads many people to consider whether or not to delete their accounts.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Permanently Delete Your Reddit Account
- How to Delete a Deceased Person’s Reddit Account
- Reddit Account Deletion: Frequently Asked Questions
In a broader sense, many people are reconsidering their efforts online and thinking about deleting their entire online presence. You might no longer like the direction of the comments in your subreddits. You might simply wish to move on from the site for the sake of your future digital legacy.
You might also be researching how to delete a Reddit account on behalf of someone else. If one of your loved ones was active on Reddit before they died, it might be wise to delete their contributions and their account.
Rather than leaving many active threads where no one will respond, deleting that account closes out that aspect of your loved one’s life with dignity.
How to Permanently Delete Your Reddit Account
Reddit offers a simple path to the permanent deletion of your account. You don’t have to delve deep into the heart of this complex and wide-ranging website. You can just make the request and move on.
Tip: Ensure that your digital assets are taken care of according to your wishes by making a will. You can easily create one from home with an online will maker like Trust & Will.
Access user settings
Reddit’s simple interface and structure make accessing the core of your account a breeze.
Click on the little alien/creature icon where your username is displayed at the top of the screen.
There should be a small gear icon next to the words “User Settings.” Clicking on this will take you straight to the deactivation option you need.
Click “Deactivate Account”
At the bottom of the User Settings page, you’ll see smaller letters that say “Deactivate Account.”
Below it, there should be a link in red letters, which also reads "Deactivate Account." Click this link to begin the process of deleting your account. The Reddit community functions based on how users participate.
You may want to answer the optional question about why you are leaving the site to improve Reddit for others in the future.
Confirm with your user information
The last step in deleting your account is to click “Deactivate Account.” There will be one more dialogue box that pops up, confirming your decision.
After that, your account will be scheduled for deletion. There is no waiting period, so if you wish to participate in Reddit again, you’ll need to create a new account.
How to Delete a Deceased Person’s Reddit Account
If you have your deceased loved one's log-in information, you can delete the account the same way you would in the above-outlined process.
However, if you don’t have their account information, including their password, you can try this process instead. Deleting your loved one's Reddit account is a part of our recommended post-loss checklist. Not only do you protect their privacy, but you also protect their identity.
Tip: You can continue a loved one's digital legacy with a virtual memorial on a platform like GatheringUs. They even have specialists who can guide and support you through the planning process.
Using a different account, private message the moderators
Just like you can private message other users, there is also a way to message the moderators of the whole site. Use this simple message system to send a request for a username to be deleted.
Attach an online obituary or other evidence that the account holder has died. This could include a copy of the death certificate.
One potential hurdle to this is that many account holders don’t provide a lot of identifying information. A user might choose to have his or her real name in their username, but they don't have to.
They might have nothing identifying them by their legal name in their account.
If you have evidence to suggest that this username is definitely connected to your loved one, such as evidence that they used the same username for an identified account, that could help your case.
Respond with identifying information as necessary
Reddit moderators may take a variety of approaches to the deletion of your account. If it has been inactive for a while, they may be willing to delete it immediately based on your evidence.
On the other hand, they may need further information. Respond promptly and you'll be more likely to get the results you want.
One further note: If you aren't an active Reddit user, it may be worth it to sign up just to send these messages. Deleting your account afterward is straightforward.
Reddit Account Deletion: Frequently Asked Questions
Despite the simplicity of the deletion process, deleting a Reddit account may raise other questions or concerns. Here are some of the questions that Reddit users and ex-Reddit-users have asked.
How do you delete your Reddit account on mobile (iPhone or Android)?
The mobile Reddit interface also has a “User Settings” tab where you can access the button that says “Deactivate Account.” iPhone and Android users may have slightly different home screens in the Reddit application.
However, clicking on your username where your Karma is also listed should direct you to the menu containing “User Settings.” From there, the process is the same.
What happens when you delete your Reddit account?
When you delete your account, you can no longer directly access or modify your posts.
They will no longer be associated with your username. Your posts will remain on the site with the username simply stated as "[deleted]."
If you’re worried about identifying information remaining inactive posts, you should delete the posts in question before deleting the account.
How do you permanently delete a post or message on Reddit?
In the past, Redditors had to “overwrite” their posts, replacing the text with something innocuous and irrelevant to the matter at hand. At that point, deletion wasn’t an option.
Now, on your post, you should see a three-dots link that offers you the option to click “Delete.” A confirmation pop-up will ask you if you want to delete the post. Click "yes."
Reddit doesn’t guarantee whether they’ll remove the post from their servers when you click "delete." If this worries you and you want to be doubly sure, overwrite your post and then delete it.
Reconsidering That Reddit Account
You may find that deleting your Reddit account is a relief. You can spend your time on other activities. You don’t have to worry about responses or messages that you weren’t interested in getting.
Scaling back from multiple online accounts to a more streamlined online presence can be very liberating. You’ll find more time for the sites you value.
If you're looking to delete more accounts for a deceased loved one, read our guides on deleting Airbnb account, deleting Skype accounts, and deleting Uber accounts.
Sources
- “Deactivate Account.” Reddit. Reddit. ssl.reddit.com/prefs/deactivate
- u/[deleted]. “If I delete my Reddit account, will it also delete all of my posts?” Reddit r/CasualConversation. Reddit. reddit.com/r/CasualConversation/comments/6jtm8i/if_i_delete_my_reddit_account_will_it_also_delete/
- u/[deleted]. “Delete Account.” Reddit r/Help. Reddit. reddit.com/r/help/comments/2dlmhi/delete_account/