You may not have any more use for Telegram, a popular messaging app with an emphasis on user privacy. You may want to delete a Telegram account or manage a deceased loved one’s digital afterlife by deleting your loved one's Telegram account.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Delete Your Own Telegram Account
- How to Delete a Deceased Loved One's Telegram Account
- FAQs: Deleting a Telegram Account
This guide will help in either case. If you still don't fully understand the process after you read the directions, contact Telegram directly and get official answers to any lingering questions you may have.
How to Delete Your Own Telegram Account
Follow a few easy steps to delete your Telegram account. You'll probably find it easier compared to the processes involved in deleting many other app and social media accounts.
Step 1: Consider exporting data.
Deleting a Telegram account means deleting your messages, chat history, and other such data. You won’t have the option to access any of your data in the future if you don’t save it. Consider this before deleting your account.
If you know for sure you want to delete your Telegram account but you feel you might also want to access your data at some point in the future, you can export it. Follow these steps to do so:
- Access your Telegram account via a desktop computer and click “Settings.”
- Choose “Advanced Settings,” then “Export Telegram Data” under the “Data and Storage” heading.
- Select “Export Chat History” and select the type of data you want to save.
- Telegram will display the export process to let you know how much data has currently been exported.
- Keep Telegram running until the app shows all your data has been exported. You can access your files from a browser without an actual account. You can also navigate to other tabs during the export process. You just can’t close that particular tab until the process completes or you’ll have to start over.
Step 2: Visit the deactivation page.
After you export your data, you can delete a Telegram account fairly easily. Visit the deactivation page and enter the phone number you used to create an account in proper international format.
Step 3: Enter the confirmation code.
You’ll receive a text with a confirmation code. Enter it in the appropriate field and click “Sign In.”
Step 4: Delete your account.
The next page will feature a short list of links. Click “Delete account.”
Telegram will prompt you to give a reason for deleting your account. However, if you want, you can skip this step by simply clicking on the “Delete My Account” button.
A final prompt will ask if you’re sure you want to permanently delete your Telegram account. Click “Yes, delete my account" to finish.
How to Delete a Deceased Loved One’s Telegram Account
You have three options if you wish to delete a deceased loved one’s Telegram account as part of your executor duties.
Option 1: Follow the steps above.
You probably already know the phone number of the individual whose account you wish to delete. If you also have access to your loved one's phone, you can simply follow the steps above.
(Tip: A password manager tool can help you keep track of login information if a loved one chooses you to get rid of accounts after death.)
Option 2: Wait.
By default, Telegram deletes accounts after six months of inactivity to clear up server space. If you’re not in a hurry to delete a loved one’s Telegram account, you can simply choose to wait.
Option 3: Contact Telegram.
If special circumstances require deleting a deceased loved one’s Telegram account sooner rather than later, you can reach out to Telegram’s customer service department to explain the situation.
Prepare by gathering documentation proving the person in question is genuinely dead (check our guide on how to get a death certificate for more information on this) and how you bear legal responsibility for managing the account.
Telegram may not grant your request. The company reviews the circumstances to determine if it will grant you access. The company evaluates these situations with respect to the privacy of its users. Telegram’s team considers this when it receives such requests.
FAQs: Deleting a Telegram Account
If you still have questions about deleting a Telegram account, keep reading. You might find what you need here.
Can you delete your Telegram account without the confirmation code?
Remember, Telegram will automatically delete any account that remains inactive for six months. You can also adjust how much time passes before Telegram automatically deletes your account by following these steps:
- Log in to your Telegram account. Choose “Settings,” then “Privacy and Security.”
- Scroll to “Delete my account if away for.” Select it, then (depending on your preference) adjust the settings so your account will delete itself after one month, three months, or one year of inactivity.
Can you temporarily deactivate your Telegram account?
Unfortunately, no. Deactivating a Telegram account is permanent.
What happens when you delete your Telegram account?
You’ll lose access to all your data and chat history. If you start a new account, you’ll become a new user. However, if you start a new account with the same number as your last account, your old contacts will receive a notification letting them know you’re back on Telegram.
Again, you have the option to export your data before deleting your account. If you choose this option, confirm you have access to the exported data before continuing with the deletion process.
Deleting a Telegram Account: A Simple Process
Regardless of your reasons for deleting a Telegram account, now you know to delete a Telegram account permanently. Unless you have the deceased’s phone number and device, you might find it tricky to delete a deceased loved one’s account. However, if you can wait six months, you don’t have to do anything at all.
Sources:
- “How do I delete my account?” Telegram, telegram.org/faq#q-how-do-i-delete-my-account
- Trivedi, Kushboo. “How To Delete Your Telegram Account Permanently.” TechNetGuide, TechNetGuide, www.technetguide.com/how-delete-telegram-account-permanently/