Delete Snapchat Account: Permanently Delete Or Just Deactivate?

Delete Snapchat account? Not that I would think of it often, but if you have then go ahead with your decision. The social media platform is gaining popularity like anything. However, you might be worried that you are sharing a lot of personal data through the account, as there have been instances of Snapchat extortion.

Well, sometimes, it is a good idea to take some time off and indulge in social media detox. It is good, and I am here to help you through the process. It is not a very difficult process. However, think it through, as you might not be able to retrieve anything once you delete it.

This is kind of an irreversible process, and if you delete your Snapchat account, you are going to lose all your data, your tropics and charms, your friend list, chat conversations, snaps, memories, scores, and streaks. So, before you delete it, make a backup of all the data.

Delete Snapchat Account: The Complete Process

Deleting a Snapchat account is not very difficult. However, you do not get to recover the data afterward, so deleting the account seems like an entire process. To begin with, back up all the data.

Backup all your data

From your Android device, you can try the following steps:

• Open the Snapchat Accounts Portal from any browser you have.
• Enter your login credentials.
• Tap on “My Data.”
• Choose the kind of data you want to include in your document and click “Next.”
• Select the date range or the time for which you want to download the data. Tap on “Submit.”
• Then you will get the mail with a download link, and you can download the ZIP file for retrieving your data.

If you are trying to do this from iOS, then you have to follow these few steps to back up your data.

• Open the app from your device.
• Click on the profile icon.
• Then tap on the gear icon.
• Find the “Account Action.”
• Choose “My Data.”
• Enter your credentials.
• Choose all the data that you want to download and tap on “Next.”
• Again, choose the time period for which you can download the content and click on “Submit.”
• Snapchat will tell you that they are processing everything and will send you an email with the download link.

Moreover, if you are trying to save some particular Snaps, then clock on the three dots by the Snap, choose “Export Snap,” and save it to cloud storage or your device gallery.

Consider deactivating the account

Well, various social media platforms allow you to deactivate the account temporarily. This is amazing for those who just want to take a break from social media or that particular platform for a while but do not want to delete it completely.

Snapchat does not offer you that option. However, you can delete the Snapchat account and then restore it within 30 days. Snapchat keeps all the data stored in this waiting period.

Impact of deleting the account

Also, know that when you delete your Snapchat account, you lose everything you have on it. As I mentioned earlier, it is an irreversible process.

You do not get anything if you do not back it up or restore it within 30 days of deleting the account. This is considered as the waiting time, and Snapchat keeps everything stored during this time frame.

How to delete Snapchat?

So, now that you are confident that you want to go ahead with the “delete Snapchat account” decision, you need to know the following steps to delete the account. But you cannot delete it directly from the Android app. You have to use a browser to delete the account. So, let’s check how you can do it.

You do not have to think of how to delete Snapchat messages separately. It is like a package deal, and everything gets deleted automatically with the account.

Using The Browser

There are not many steps that you have to follow to delete your Snapchat account. Here are the steps mentioned.

• Visit the Snapchat Account Portal from any browser you have.

• Enter your login credentials.

• Tap on “Delete My Account.”

• Enter your credentials again.
• Choose “Continue,” which you will find at the bottom, and you are done.

Delete Using The iOS App

Well, even if you cannot delete the account directly from the Android app, you can do this from the iOS app. Here is how you can do it.

• Open the app from your iOS device.
• Click on the profile icon.
• Tap on the “gear icon.”
• Find “Account Actions.”
• Tap on “Delete Account.”
• Snapchat will redirect you to the Accounts Portal, and then you will have to follow the steps mentioned above to follow through.

Know that all your stories, Snaps, and your friend list will disappear after you delete the account permanently. However, Snapchat keeps some of your data for their business needs, security, and legal reasons. If you made some purchases through Snapchat and accepted their terms and conditions, they will keep this information with you.

Deactivation period

There is nothing such as deactivation in Snapchat. The 30 days after deleting the account is considered the deactivation period. You can get back all your data if you restore the account within these 30 days. Be cautious, or the account is going to get permanently deleted after this period.

But if you want to just delete Snapchat stories, do not think that you have to delete your account or deactivate your account for that. You can do that easily in just a few steps.

• Visit your profile.
• Choose “My Stories” from the section My Story.
• Press & hold all those snaps which you want to delete.
• Tap on “Delete Snap.”

The same goes for Snapchat stickers. How to delete stickers on Snapchat? Just tap and hold on to it. Do not release your finger and drag it until the buttons disappear.

Restoring Snapchat Account

Restoring a deactivated account is just like logging into the account with your credentials. They will just ask for your confirmation. Here are the steps that you have to follow to reactivate your account.

• Before the period of 30 days is over, open the app and log in to the account with your previous credentials. There is no way you can use the email after you have deleted the account. You will need your username to log in.
• Snapchat will ask for your confirmation whether you actually want to reactivate the account. Click “Yes.”
• Click “OK” and wait for it to happen. Snapchat might even take 24 hours to restore the account.
• Then log in again and use your previous account.

What do you do if you do not want to delete the account?

You might be ready to delete Snapchat but wait. You can try these few alternatives and use the account safely.

• Update the settings: You can decide who can contact you on the platform, check your story, find you in their suggestions, and check your locations.
• Set the account to private: If you are worried about cyberbullying or about the data that you are sharing, you can set your account to private and protect the account.
• Use ghost mode: When you enable the ghost mode, people will not be able to locate you on the Snap Map.

So, what did you decide finally?

Well, if you solely want to deactivate or delete your Snapchat account for social media detox or if you are bored of the platform, that is okay. However, if you want to delete it for safety reasons, you can use the alternatives to protect the account.

Moreover, you kind of have a trial period, and if you decide otherwise, then you can reactivate the account back within 30 days with all the data intact. So, before you do anything, think it through. So, will you stick with your “Delete Snapchat account” decision?

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