Ready to say goodbye to Snapchat? Here’s how to permanently delete or deactivate your account

Ready to say goodbye to Snapchat? Here’s how to permanently delete or deactivate your account

Are you exhausted by dog filters? Or sad when clicking through memories from “5 years ago, today?” Sick of potential love interests taking your relationship to the next step through a simple word: “snap?”

If you can relate to any of the feelings above, it may be time to delete Snapchat – or at least take some time apart from the app.

If you’re a Snapchat lover, you’re not alone. Since the image and video messaging app launched in 2011, hundreds of millions joined worldwide to connect with friends and family in a fun, digital space. According to company statistics, an average of 306 million people uses Snapchat every day, reaching 75% of millennials and Gen Z.

Despite Snapchat’s popularity, the app hasn’t gone without controversy – including lawsuits over its now-eliminated speed filter that resulted in fatal car crashes, a history of racially insensitive filters and scandals of underaged sexting.

Regardless of your current relationship with Snapchat, it’s helpful to know how to delete your account in case it’s something you decide to do in the future. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process.

Are you over Instagram, too? Here’s how to delete or deactivate your Instagram account.

Time for a Snap-breakup? Here’s how to deactivate and delete your account

According to Snapchat’s website, you can delete your account by going into the accounts portal, which you can access through your preferred internet browser.

Log in to your account portal with the username (or email address) and password of the account you want to delete. You’ll be taken to a landing page for managing your account. To delete your account, click on “Delete My Account.”

To delete your account, enter your username and password once more and click “Continue.” It’s important to note that if you’ve requested data from Snapchat (or would like to now) you should wait to download it before deleting your account. For more information about requesting data from Snapchat, go back to the previous landing page and click “My Data.”

Once you’ve confirmed that you’d like to delete your account, you will receive an account deactivation message and a confirmation email.

For the first 30 days following this step, your account will be deactivated, and your friends will not be able to contact you on the app. After 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted, so all your account settings, app friends, Snaps, stories, chats, device data and location data in Snapchat’s main user database will be deleted.

Snapchat notes that the company “may retain some personal data for certain legal, security, and business needs.” This data can range from in-app purchases to the date you accepted Snapchat’s terms of service and privacy policy.

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Regret your Snap decision?

If you immediately regret your decision to part ways with Snapchat, reactivation within the first 30 days is easy. Just go back into the app and sign in with your old username and password.

It may take a couple of moments, but once you receive a reactivation confirmation email, you can log back into your Snap like you were never away. Your chats, memories, Bitmoji and more will all be preserved.

If 30 days have passed, your account will have been permanently deleted. If you want to give Snapchat a second try, you’ll have to create a new account.

More social media separation?

• Instagram: How to delete or deactivate your account
• Facebook: How to delete or deactivate your account
• Twitter: How to delete or deactivate your account
• Snapchat: How to delete or deactivate your account
• Robotexts: How to stop them before it’s too late
• TikTok: Here’s how to delete and request a file with all our your data