How to delete Twitter account? Full guide for you

Deciding to delete Twitter account can prove more challenging than expected. In general, Twitter can facilitate meaningful experiences, but often frustrating ones, too.

So, you can bid farewell to the 280-character social media platform by permanently deleting your Twitter account. However, you might feel the urge to return to the boiling pot of debate and brief insights. In that case, you can take advantage of the 30-day deactivation window.

Why should you delete Twitter account?

The final straw for the decision to delete Twitter accounts can happen for various reasons. Like any social media platform, it is an addictive environment, triggering increased screen time. For some, it induces doomscrolling, a toxic cycle of consuming mainly negative news.

Thus, as much as the town-square feeling of Twitter fascinates, it also aids unpleasant matters:

• Tweets containing offensive statements, fake accusations, and insulting claims are a daily battle for Twitter. Harassment online is also an ever-growing issue, and choosing to delete Twitter account helps escape this derogatory channel.
• Fake news and misinformation tend to spread rapidly on Twitter. Studies show that users are 70% more likely to retweet Tweets containing inaccurate information.
• Being an active contributor to Twitter can make users targets of identity theft, doxxing, or impersonation. Thus, the general rule is to avoid revealing highly personal details about your life on social media.

How to delete a Twitter account

Twitter does not allow you to permanently delete Twitter accounts instantly. Instead, the first step to deleting your account is deactivating it. During the 30 days of deactivation, your Twitter handle won’t be visible to others. However, it will remain available in Twitter systems for easy retrieval.

So, deciding to delete Twitter accounts boils down to three main steps:

1. Deactivating your Twitter account. You can reactivate your account during the 30-day period without any issues.
2. You must not access your account during these 30 days. If you do, you might end up reactivating your account.
3. After the deactivation period concludes, Twitter deletes your account from its systems. You won’t be able to retrieve your account or have access to old Tweets.

Preparing to delete your Twitter account

You need to consider several things before saying goodbye to your Twitter account:

• Change your username before deleting your Twitter account so you can use it for a new one.
• Traces of your tweets or profile might remain available via search engines. You need to contact search engines separately and submit deletion requests.
• Your direct messages will get deleted after the 30-day deactivation period.
• Your other services might use Twitter indirectly, leading to you accidentally reactivating your account. So, before deactivating your account, ensure that no third-party services use it.

Removing third-party apps from using Twitter

You can guarantee that third-party apps won’t accidentally reactivate your account within 30 days. Simply revoke app permissions for all applications linked to your Twitter account.

1. Open your Twitter account and select More.

2. Navigate to Settings and privacy.

3. Open Security and account access.

4. Tap on Apps and sessions.

5. Open Connected apps.
6. If you see any apps using Twitter, revoke app permissions for all.

Deactivating your Twitter account for deletion

You can deactivate and delete Twitter accounts with an active session from any device.

On desktop:

1. Log into your Twitter account and click the More option in the menu.

2. Click Settings and privacy.

3. In the Your Account section, choose Deactivate your account.

4. Click the Deactivate button after reading the terms above.

5. Enter your password to confirm and click on Deactivate.
6. Your 30-day deactivation begins.
7. If you log into your account in the next 30 days, your account will get reactivated.

On mobile:

1. Open the Twitter app and tap on your profile image.
2. Select Settings and privacy.

3. Open Your account.

4. Tap Deactivate Account.

5. Read all terms and tap on Deactivate.

6. Confirm with your password.
7. You have deactivated your account. If you do not log into it during the next 30 days, it will get permanently deleted.

If you choose to stick around

You might reactivate your account to drop the idea of deleting your Twitter account. However, that means you should follow particular security and privacy tips for an enjoyable and healthy experience.

• Limit your time on Twitter to prevent doomscrolling.
• Never open links in tweets without checking whether they are valid and safe.
• Report users that post offensive content or harass other users.
• Avoid sharing personal information and plans via tweets.
• Check Twitter privacy settings to see what you can change to protect your identity.
• Use a strong password for your Twitter account and enable two-factor authentication.