How to delete your Telegram account, now or automatically

To delete your Telegram account, go to Telegram's deactivation page at my.telegram.org/deactivate, sign in with your phone number, enter the code Telegram sends you, and confirm. The code arrives inside the Telegram app, not by SMS, and the deletion cannot be undone.

How to delete your Telegram account on the deactivation page

Telegram's FAQ points everyone to the same place, and recommends doing it in a non-mobile browser.

On a computer, open my.telegram.org/deactivate in your browser.
Enter the phone number you use on Telegram, in international format, and press Next.
Open Telegram on your phone or another logged-in device. A message from Telegram contains your confirmation code.
Type that code into the confirmation box on the web page and sign in.
Follow the page's steps to confirm that you want to delete the account.

That is the whole process. Telegram says the action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone, so there is no grace period to change your mind.

Why the code comes in Telegram, not by SMS

A lot of people search for how to delete a Telegram account "with SMS" and then wait for a text that never comes. The deactivation page says it plainly: "We'll send a code to your Telegram app, not by SMS."

So you need access to Telegram on at least one device to delete the account this way. If you are still logged in on a phone, tablet or computer, the code will show up there as a message from Telegram.

Can you delete it from your phone?

Telegram's FAQ only documents the deactivation page and recommends a non-mobile browser for it. You can still open the page on a phone, but the code arrives in the Telegram app on that same phone, so you will be switching between the two. A computer makes it simpler: the page on the screen, the code on your phone.

What gets deleted and what stays

From Telegram's FAQ and privacy policy:

Deleted:

All your messages, media and contacts stored in the Telegram cloud.
Your groups and contacts associated with the account.
Your history. If you sign up again, you appear as a new user with no history, contacts or groups.

Stays:

The people you talked to keep their copy of the messages you sent them.
Groups and channels you created are not deleted. They are "orphaned and left without a creator," and admins keep their rights. Your contacts can still chat in groups you created.

One more thing Telegram warns about: if you sign up again with the same number, people who have that number in their contacts are notified, and you show up as a separate, empty conversation.

If you want messages gone from the other side too, delete them before you delete the account. Telegram's FAQ says you can tap a message, or hold to select chats, tap the delete icon and check the option to delete for both parties.

Cancel Telegram Premium first

This is the step that costs people money. Telegram's Premium FAQ says:

If you subscribed through @PremiumBot, deleting your account ends the recurring payments, but the unused part of your billing period is not refunded.
If you subscribed through the App Store or Google Play, you need to cancel through your Apple or Google account settings, because those platforms may keep charging you even after you delete your Telegram account or the app.

Uninstalling Telegram does not cancel a subscription either. Cancel through the provider you paid with, then delete.

Export your chats before you delete

Once the account is gone, the history is gone. Telegram has a built-in export tool in Telegram Desktop, described on its blog:

Install the latest Telegram Desktop on your computer and log in.
Click Settings > Export Telegram data.
Pick what to include, and choose JSON or HTML.

To export a single conversation, open the chat, use the ... menu and choose Export chat history.

The self-destruct setting: delete automatically

Telegram also deletes inactive accounts on its own. Its FAQ and privacy policy say that if you do not come online for at least 18 months, your account is deleted along with all messages, media, contacts and every other piece of data you store in the Telegram cloud.

You can change that period in Settings. If you no longer have a device you can get a code on, and you do not need the account, this timer is effectively how it ends: stay logged out and the account deletes itself once the period passes.

If you can't log in

Telegram's FAQ explains that the phone number is the only way it identifies a user. Whoever has the number has the account, and Telegram says it cannot help unless you have access to the number or to Telegram on one of your devices.

Still logged in somewhere? Use that device to get the deletion code. If you think someone else has access, Telegram suggests turning on Two-Step Verification in Settings > Privacy and Security and ending other sessions in Settings > Devices.
Lost the phone or SIM? Telegram's advice is to contact your phone provider to block the old SIM and issue a new one with your number. Then you can log in and delete.
No number and no device? The inactivity self-destruct above will remove the account after the set period.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete my Telegram account permanently?

Use the deactivation page at my.telegram.org/deactivate, sign in with your number and the code Telegram sends to your app, and confirm. Telegram says it cannot be undone.

Can I delete my Telegram account instantly?

Yes. Unlike many apps, Telegram has no waiting period on the deactivation page. Once you confirm, the account is deleted and it is irreversible, so export anything you want to keep first.

Can I delete Telegram without the app?

You need the app on at least one device, because the confirmation code is sent inside Telegram, not by SMS. Without any logged-in device, the self-destruct timer is the way out.

Does deleting Telegram delete my messages for everyone?

No. Your contacts keep their copy of the messages you sent them. Delete messages for both parties before deleting the account if you want them gone.

What happens to groups and channels I created?

They stay. Telegram leaves them without a creator, and existing admins keep their rights. Hand admin rights to someone you trust beforehand if you want the group run properly.

Will my contacts know I deleted Telegram?

Telegram does not say it notifies anyone when you delete. It does say that if you sign up again, people with your number in their contacts are notified and see you as a new conversation.

Before you go

If you are reconsidering Telegram rather than leaving apps altogether, our review of whether Telegram is safe covers what it protects and what it does not. If you come back later, Telegram without a phone number explains your sign-up options. For accounts that use your email as the login, see what happens when you delete your email account and the checklist for changing your email address everywhere.

If you are cleaning up your accounts, a separate address for sign-ups helps next time. Secria Mail sign-up is a name, the address you want and a password, with no phone number and no card. The free plan includes 2 aliases, so each service can get its own, and if one leaks you can trace it and stop it by deleting the alias. Create a free account if that fits.