Want to Quit Telegram? Here’s How to Delete Your Account Forever

Telegram is a popular cloud-based messaging app founded by a Russian-born tech entrepreneur, Pavel Durov. Durov has been accused of cooperating with the Russian authorities, while the messenger itself is described as far from secure. There are also questions about how Telegram is funded, as the service remained unprofitable until 2024. Critics of Telegram recommend using WhatsApp for daily communication with family and friends, and Signal for more secure conversations. However, we encourage users to research privacy and security practices themselves before choosing any platform, to ensure their personal safety and peace of mind.

Here, we explain how to completely delete your Telegram account permanently.

Important: Deleting the app from your computer or smartphone does not mean deleting your account. It’s a separate process that must be done manually. Below is a step-by-step guide.

Delete Telegram via browser

The easiest and fastest way to delete  Telegram is through a browser. To do this, go to this link. In the window that appears, enter the phone number linked to your account and then the confirmation code that will be sent directly to your Telegram app on your computer or phone.

After logging in, click Delete My Account and then confirm by clicking Yes, delete my account.

What happens next?

After final confirmation, the account is deleted. You cannot recover or restore it, even if you change your mind 30 seconds later.

All chats, photos, videos, voice messages, and other content will be deleted automatically. In other users’ chats, it will be shown that you deleted your account.

At the same time, all groups—even those you created—will remain. You need to delete them manually before deleting your account.

If you realize that deleting your account might be an impulsive decision that you could later regret, you can choose another option.

Automatic Telegram account deletion

If you prefer not to delete your account manually, Telegram offers an auto-deletion option.

In Settings → Privacy and Security, select the Delete my account section and set the number of months after which your account will be automatically deleted if you don’t log in to Telegram. The minimum period is one month.

In this way, you can delete the app on every device you have, stay out of Telegram for a month, and if you really don’t need the messenger, it will be deleted automatically.

Deleting Telegram from the mobile or desktop app

If you want to delete your account from your smartphone, for example, follow these steps:

Settings → General → Telegram FAQ

Then scroll down several screens until you reach the question directory. Find the Your Account section and tap Delete your Telegram Account.

The text will contain a link to the same deactivation page mentioned earlier. The process is identical: enter your phone number and confirmation code, click Delete account, and confirm again by selecting Delete My Account.

You can follow the exact same steps to delete your account from the Telegram desktop app—the windows and sequence are identical.

Important: If you plan to change your phone number, there is no need to delete your Telegram account. You can simply change your number—this feature is built into the app. In this case, all your information will be preserved.

Settings → My Profile

Tap your phone number and select Change number. That’s all you need to do.

You also don’t need to delete your account if you’ve changed your device and want to start using the messenger on a new one. In that case, simply delete the app from the old device—that’s enough.

Can you create a new Telegram account?

Yes, you can create a new account later using the same phone number. However, it will be a fresh account with no previous chats or data—it will be a completely new, clean account.

Deleting your Telegram account is irreversible, so make sure it’s the right move for you. While deleting Telegram is straightforward, it also reminds us to think critically about where and how we communicate online. Explore the privacy policies and reputations of different platforms to find the one that best protects your data and aligns with your values.

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