How to Delete Your Telegram Account

Before you start: it cannot be undone

Deleting a Telegram account is permanent. Telegram's FAQ says it removes all your messages and contacts, and the action cannot be undone. Groups and channels you created are left without a creator, though their admins keep their rights. Your chat partners keep their copies of your conversations.

If you only want a break, you do not need to delete anything; see deleting the app is not deleting your account.

Delete it on the deactivation page

Telegram's FAQ points to its deactivation page, and suggests using a computer browser rather than a phone. The confirmation code arrives in the Telegram app, not by SMS.

1. In a browser, type my.telegram.org yourself. Do not follow links from messages.
2. Enter your phone number in international format, with the country code.
3. Enter the code that arrives in the chat from Telegram in your app.
4. Choose Delete account, give a reason if you like, and confirm.

On iPhone you can also start from the app: Delete Account Now sits under the automatic deletion setting in Privacy and Security. It first shows alternatives, such as changing your number or adding another account, then continues to deletion.

Or let it delete itself

Every account deletes itself if it is not used for a set time. You choose the period under Delete my account in Privacy and Security: "If you do not come online at least once within this period, your account will be deleted along with all messages and contacts." Telegram's FAQ gives 18 months as the default.

A short period is the quiet way to make sure an unused account disappears; just stop opening Telegram everywhere. See what happens to an inactive account.

Next step: what happens to your chats, and what others see, after you delete your account.