AIN.UA tells how to delete a Telegram account in the step-by-step guide.
Export your data
If a user wants to export their data from Telegram before deleting it, they need to:
- Go to Settings (the icon in the upper left corner of the application, three horizontal lines)
- In the Settings menu, go to the Advanced options (only available in the desktop version of Telegram)
- Click on ‘Export Telegram Data’
- Then select the type of data you want to export (contacts, chat contents, etc.) and download it
How to delete Telegram account
There are two ways to delete your account.
Telegram deactivates the user’s account itself if they haven’t logged in for a while. By default, this period is set for six months, but you can change it in the settings menu.
Here is what you need to do:
- Go to Settings by clicking on the icon in the upper left corner and select ‘Privacy and Security.’
- Scroll down to ‘Delete My Account’ and change the period to one month.
- Keep from using the app for a month and Telegram will delete the account automatically.
If you do not want to wait a month, there is a faster way to do this:
- Visit the Telegram Deactivation Page and enter the phone number that is linked to the account. Telegram will send a confirmation code not as SMS, but in the application.
- After entering the code, a list of actions will appear, including account deletion:
- The service will offer the user to enter the reason why they want to delete the account. The user will also be warned that all messages and contacts will be deleted without the possibility to restore them. However, the groups and channels created by the user will remain online. If the user was the only admin there, Telegram will assign a randomly selected active member to that position.
- Then click “Delete my account” and once again confirm your decision.
- After that, it will not be possible to start a new Telegram account from the same number for a few more days.
- Telegram says it erases all user data after deleting their account. For example, if the user signs up with the same number after a while, the old messages, chats, and groups will not be available.
Read more about how to delete your Telegram account here.
