How to delete your Snapchat account (step by step)

Deactivate vs delete: what happens

Snapchat does not delete an account on the spot. When you ask to delete it, the account is first deactivated for 30 days. During that time friends cannot contact you, send you Snaps or find your profile. After 30 days, Snapchat deletes your account, your friends list, Snaps, Chats, Story, device data and location data from its main servers. Some data can stay longer when the law requires it, such as purchase records. Snapchat explains this in its support pages.

There is no separate "pause" button. If you only want a break, log out and delete the app instead. Your account stays as it is, and nothing is lost.

How to delete your Snapchat account in the app

1. Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon at the top left.
2. Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Scroll down to Account Actions and tap Delete Account.
4. Enter your password and tap Continue.

If you do not see Delete Account, update the app from the App Store or Google Play. Older versions only offered the website.

How to delete it on the website

1. Go to accounts.snapchat.com on a phone or computer browser.
2. Log in and complete any verification code.
3. Choose Delete my account.
4. Type your username and password and select Continue.

You will see a message that your account is being deactivated. Snapchat may send an email to confirm.

Save your Memories and chats first

Deleting the account deletes your Memories, so save what you want first. Go to accounts.snapchat.com › My Data, tick Export your Memories and other data you want (chat history, friends list), pick a date range and submit. Snapchat emails a download link when the file is ready, which can take from a few minutes to a day or more. Download the files on a computer if you can, because the Memories export can be large. You can also save single Memories to your camera roll from the Memories screen by selecting them and tapping Export.

How to cancel Snapchat+

On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name › Subscriptions › Snapchat+ › Cancel Subscription. On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile › Payments & subscriptions › Subscriptions › Snapchat+ › Cancel. Our guides to canceling subscriptions on iPhone and canceling subscriptions on Android show each screen. If you were charged after you meant to cancel, you can ask Apple for a refund or request a Google Play refund.

Make sure the deletion goes through

• Log out on every phone, tablet and computer where you used Snapchat.
• Delete the Snapchat app so it cannot sign you in by itself.
• Disconnect apps that use Login with Snapchat (Bitmoji, games) or they may log you back in.
• Do not log in for 30 days, even to check.

What if you change your mind?

Log in with your username and password within the 30 days. Use your username, not your email address, because the email may not work while the account is deactivated. Reactivation can take up to 24 hours. After 30 days the account is gone and cannot be brought back, and the username cannot be used again.

Delete Snapchat for a child

Parents cannot delete a teen's account from Family Center. You need the child's login. If you cannot get it, contact Snapchat Support through the support site and choose the option for a parent or guardian. For wider controls on your child's phone, see setting up an iPhone for a child or parental controls on Android.

Account hacked? Recover it first

If someone took over your account, you may not be able to delete it until you get it back. Use Forgot password at login, or the I can't access my account option on the support site. Once you are back in, change your password, turn on two-factor login and then delete the account if you still want to. Our guide to two-factor authentication shows how to protect other accounts too.

Do you need to delete it at all?

If you are leaving because of unwanted contact, you can block or report people, set Contact Me to My Friends, and turn on Ghost Mode in Snap Map. If the app keeps logging you out or crashing, that is fixable too; see Snapchat not working. Deleting is final after 30 days, so be sure first.

What happens to your Snaps and chats with friends

Messages you sent that friends already saved in a chat may stay on their side for a while, because saved messages belong to the conversation. Your name usually shows as Snapchatter or disappears from their friend list once the account is deactivated. Snaps you posted to Spotlight or public Stories are removed with the account. Screenshots friends took cannot be pulled back, so deleting the account does not erase everything others captured.

Delete Snapchat on iPhone vs Android

The steps are the same on both, since the settings live inside the app and on the website. The only difference is Snapchat+ billing: Apple handles it on iPhone and Google Play on Android. If you bought Snapchat+ on the web or with a card on Snapchat's site, cancel it in Settings › Snapchat+ inside the app before you delete.

Delete the app vs delete the account

Removing the app from your phone does nothing to your account. Friends can still see your profile and send you Snaps, which wait for you. To actually leave, you must use Delete Account. To only take a break, deleting the app is fine. On iPhone, press and hold the icon and tap Remove App › Delete App. On Android, press and hold and tap Uninstall.

Can someone else delete my account?

Only someone who knows your password. If you think someone logged in, change your password, check Settings › Devices for unknown sessions and log them out. Snapchat also sends an email when your account is deleted or reactivated, so check that inbox.

After deletion

• You cannot reuse your old username.
• You can make a new account later with the same email or phone number.
• Bitmoji linked only to Snapchat is removed too.
• Purchases like Snapchat+ or Tokens are not refunded when you delete.

Deleting other social accounts too? See how to delete Instagram and how to delete Facebook.

Common problems when deleting Snapchat

• "Incorrect password": reset it with Forgot password, wait a few minutes, then try again.
• No verification code: check spam, and make sure the phone number on the account still works.
• Delete Account is missing in the app: use accounts.snapchat.com in a browser instead.
• The account came back: something logged in during the 30 days. Log out everywhere and delete again.
• Locked account: Snapchat may ask you to unlock it first at accounts.snapchat.com before deleting.

If you keep getting locked out because of suspicious activity, secure the email linked to your account first. A hacked email lets someone reset every account tied to it. Our guide on checking your phone for malware helps if you think your device itself is the problem.

Once the 30 days pass, Snapchat sends no further notice. If you try to log in after that, the app says the account does not exist, which confirms it was deleted.

Download your data first

Before deleting, request a copy of your data at accounts.snapchat.com under My Data. Snapchat emails a download link. Saved Memories are included if you choose them, so you keep photos and videos you care about.

Download your data first.