How To Permanently Delete Telegram Account Using Android, iPhone Or PC

Telegram is quite an old messaging platform that is deemed secure and much ahead of its time in terms of features. Many tech enthusiasts recommend using Telegram over Whatsapp especially after they updated their privacy policy and terms of service. But recently we came across the fact that Telegram chats are not end-to-end encrypted users started to shift back to Whatsapp or other alternatives. And in case you decide to delete your Telegram account due to some of its security flaws it is understandable. 

How To Permanently Delete Telegram Account

There are multiple different ways to delete your telegram account. But one thing you should know beforehand is that once deleted you cannot restore your account. All your important data like chats, groups, contact lists, etc will also be deleted permanently. If you change your mind you can install the Telegram app again but you’ll have to create a new account from scratch.

Also Read: WhatsApp Privacy Policy Update: What You Need To Know

Method 1: How to delete Telegram account permanently using your Android phone

Self-destruct is one of the features that Telegram includes which automatically disables your account after a certain period of inactivity. By default, that period is set for six months but you can change it to a shorter period of time like three months or even one month. Here’s how you can enable it and disable your Telegram account using your Android smartphone:

1. Log into your Telegram app on your phone and go to ‘Settings’

1. Next tap on ‘Privacy and Security‘

1. Now scroll down and you’ll find the ‘Delete My Account if I’m Away For’ and you can change that any duration you desire.

1. If you don’t use your Telegram app for that period the platform will automatically remove your account as well as all your data including conversations, contact lists, groups, and much more.

The self-destruct option is helpful in case you change your mind and decide you want to use the app. In that case, the self-destruct sequence will automatically reset. If you don’t want to wait and delete your account immediately there’s also a way discussed in Method 3.

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Method 2: How to delete Telegram account permanently from your iPhone

To Delete your Telegram account permanently using your iPhone steps are pretty much the same as the Android phone. First, you have to deactivate your account and this can be done through the following steps

1. Open your Telegram app in your iPhone and go to ‘Settings’

1. There you will find ‘Privacy and Security

1. You have to scroll down and you will find ‘If Away for’ option

1. You can select the duration you desire which is available up to 12 months.

If your Telegram account remains can be used for this duration then Telegram will automatically delete all your messages contacts groups and other such data permanently.

Also Read: Top WeChat Alternatives In India For Android And iOS!

Method 3: Delete your Telegram account manually using Web

Sadly deleting your Telegram account immediately and not waiting for the bare minimum one month wait time as discussed in Method 1 &2 above is not possible using a smartphone. But you can delete your account immediately from the web platform. To delete your Telegram account you can follow these steps;

1. First, ensure that you have the Telegram app installed on your phone as the platform will send you a confirmation code.

1. Once you have installed and logged in to your account your can now head over to Telegram’s Deactivation page from your web browser. 

1. Here you have to type the phone number associated with your Telegram account. Add the country code before the number and then press Next.

1. Telegram will send you a web login code on the mobile app. And enter the code in the Confirmaiton Code screen and click on ‘Sign In‘.
2. Now click on ‘Delete Account’ from ‘Telegram Core’ section and you can also enter the reason for account deletion in the text box below that says ‘Why are you leaving‘ and now click on “Delete My Account”
3. On the popup again click on “Yes, delete my account”.

With all the above steps done your Telegram account will be deleted and you can uninstall the app from your device.

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Can you recover your data once your account is deleted?

After deleting your account from Telegram you won’t be able to retrieve any of your associated data like chat history, group, or contacts. If you wish to use Telegram again you will have to create a new account with your phone number. Once deleted your old account will be disabled forever and you won’t be able to access any data associated with it.

Also Read: How To Use Telegram Web On Any Browser?

Exporting Telegram Data

Before you delete your telegram account and your data is deleted permanently you can export your data like chats photos and other media from the Telegram web platform. You did you will be downloaded in form of JSON or HTML. Here are the steps of how are you can export your Telegram data

1. You have to open your Telegram desktop and select ‘Settings’

1. Then you can go to ‘Advanced’ > ‘Data and storage’ you will find the ‘Export Telegram data’ option

1. Here you can select all the data that you want to export like contact lists, chats, groups, photos, and other such things

1. Once you have selected everything you want to export you can select the download location and the format in which you want to download all your data

1. When the download is complete you can see all your Telegram data offline

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What Happens When You Delete Your Telegram Account

Now, before you delete the account, you must understand the consequences or what deleting the account really does. As the platform says, when deleted, it gets rid of all of your chats and data. Your account is terminated permanently and your messages, as well as contacts, are deleted beyond recovering. Simply put, it is gone!

With respect to groups, you are a part of Telegram, they will continue to function normally even when you delete the Telegram account. But if you are an admin of the said group, Telegram will randomly assign an active member as the new admin.

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Hope this guide helps you delete your Telegram account. If you are looking for more alternatives that are secure than Telegram, you can try WhatsApp, Signal, and more.