With 406 million daily active users on average in Q3 of 2023, it’s safe to say that Snapchat is a popular app. What sets it apart from other social media sites? The messages its users share, like text, stickers, photos and videos, disappear in a set time frame.
But sometimes vanishing messages aren’t enough — you might just feel like making your whole account disappear. Ready to take a break or unplug for good? We’ll walk you through how to delete Snapchat.
Article Roadmap
- Deactivation and Deletion: What’s the Difference?
- Download Your Data
- How To Delete Snapchat
- Reactivate Your Snapchat Account
- FAQs
- In Summary
Deactivation and Deletion: What’s the Difference?
If you just want to take a break from Snapchat, you don’t have to go nuclear and delete your account. While deletion permanently removes your account from the app, deactivation just puts things on pause and gives you a temporary break.
Deactivating makes your account disappear during the deactivation period, so people on the app can’t see it, search for it or send you messages. When you reactivate it, everything goes right back to normal.
Once you deactivate, you have 30 days to recover your account. After 30 days, Snapchat begins the account deletion process, which takes another 30 days — so you can’t access your account after 30 days, and your account is fully deleted after 60.
Download Your Data
Before you begin the account deletion process, remember to download your account data using the steps discussed below.
On the App
Step 1: Log in to your Snapchat account on the mobile app and click on your Avatar in the top left corner of the screen.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon on the right side of the screen.
Step 3: Scroll down to the Privacy Controls section and select My Data.
Step 4: Select the data you want to include in the download. You can also toggle the action icon to enable or disable memories and other media downloads.
Step 5: Click on the Next button at the bottom right of your screen.
Step 6: Select the date range for which you want to export your data, confirm your email address and hit submit.
Step 7: Snapchat will start the data export process and you will receive an email when it’s complete. This might take a few hours or even days depending on the size of your data.
Step 8: In the email, open the Click Here link to log in to your account and access the downloaded data.
Step 9: Click on the Download button to start the process.
Alternatively, you can also log in to your account on the desktop, click on the Download Data option on the top right corner of the screen and scan the QR code from your mobile device to download your data.
On the Web
Step 1: Log in to your Snapchat account.
Step 2: Select My Data from the menu.
Step 3: Select the data to include in the download.
Step 4: After you’re done, click on Next.
Step 5: Select the date range for which you want to download the data, enter your email address and click on Submit.
Step 6: Snapchat will start the download process. Once that’s complete, you’ll receive an email with a copy of the downloaded data.
Step 7: Go to the link attached to the text “click here.”
Step 8: Click on Download.
How To Delete Snapchat
If you want to go ahead with deleting your account, here are the steps to take.
iOS
Step 1: Log in to your Snapchat account on the iOS mobile app.
Step 2: Tap on your Avatar icon on the top left of the profile screen.
Step 3: Tap on the Settings or gear icon on the top right of the profile screen.
Step 4: Scroll down to the Account Actions section and click on Delete Account.
A Snapchat website window will pop up on your screen.
Step 5: Enter your email ID/ registered mobile number to log in to your account.
Step 6: If you’ve enabled two-factor authentication, you’ll be prompted to enter a verification code sent to the registered mobile number. Enter the code and hit submit.
Step 7: Enter your password again.
Step 8: Your account will be deactivated.
At this stage, you will also receive an account deactivation email on your registered email ID.
Android
Snapchat doesn’t support the account deletion feature on the Android mobile app. You need to log in to your profile with your username and password on the accounts portal (web browser) to initiate the deactivation of your account.
Follow these steps to visit the accounts portal through the Android mobile app:
Step 1: Log in to your Snapchat account and tap on your avatar on the top left side.
Step 2: Click on the Settings button.
Step 3: Select the “I Need Help” option under Support.
Step 4: Select “Delete or Reactivate My Account” in the Managing My Account section.
Step 5: Tap on “How do I delete my Snapchat account.”
Step 6: You will find the link to the accounts portal in the Snapchat Support window.
After you log in, follow the instructions from step 5 in the previous section.
Desktop
Follow these steps to delete your account on a laptop or PC:
Step 1: Log in to your account on accounts.snapchat.com.
Step 2: Select Delete My Account from the list of options.
Step 3: Enter your password to verify your account.
Step 4: Your account will be deactivated.
Step 5: You’ll receive an account deactivation email to your registered email to confirm that the process is complete.
Once you deactivate, your friends won’t be able to contact or interact with you on Snapchat. Your personal information, like stories, chats, snaps and other data, also gets removed from the company’s database.
Even when accounts are permanently deleted, the company retains some personal data for legal, security and business needs. Read its privacy policy for more information.
If you have concerns about safety or privacy, you don’t necessarily need to delete your account to address them. Snapchat has settings to increase your privacy and secure your account, including options to block users, delete friends, hide your location, hide stories and file reports in the Safety Center.
Reactivate Your Snapchat Account
If you change your mind and want to reactivate your account, make sure you log in before 30 days are up. Select “Yes” when you receive the “Do you want to reactivate your account?” prompt. It may take up to 24 hours for your account to be ready to use again, and Snapchat will notify you via email when it’s ready.
FAQs
What happens after deleting Snapchat?
Your account is deactivated. After 60 days, it’s permanently deleted.
Can I restore my Snapchat account?
Yes, as long as you reactivate it within 30 days.
Can I log in to my deactivated account using my email address?
No, but you can log in with your username.
Can I change my password when my account is deactivated?
No.
How can I permanently delete my Snapchat account?
Snapchat permanently deletes your account after 60 days of deactivation. If you don’t log in within 30 days of deactivating your account, it can’t be recovered.
If I deactivated my account 30 days ago or more, is the account permanently deleted?
If you don’t log in to your account 30 days after deactivation, your account cannot be recovered. The deletion process starts after the initial 30 days of inactivity, which takes another 30 days.
Will my Snapchat friends be notified when I delete my account?
No.
Does deleting Snapchat erase my chats from other people’s accounts?
No.
How do I know if someone deactivated their Snapchat account?
The username of a deactivated or deleted account doesn’t appear on the app.
Can I delete my Snapchat account on the Android mobile app?
Yes.
Can I download my data before deleting my account?
Yes. Click here to learn more.
Can I reset my password on a deactivated account?
No.
Final Thoughts
Leaving Snapchat is as easy as sending a snap to a friend – in a few simple steps, your account can vanish, and, in a few weeks, it’s gone for good.
We hope we answered all your questions about deleting your Snapchat account. Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!
Related Articles
How To Delete An Instagram Account
How To Delete or Deactivate Your Facebook Account
How To Delete Your Google Account
How To Delete A Gmail Account On A Desktop, iPhone Or Android
How To Delete A Reddit Account
How To Delete or Deactivate Your Facebook Account