How to Delete Twitter Account (Fast & Easy): The Definitive Guide

For many, Twitter is a useful and innovative platform that can also be quite uplifting in some cases. The platform allows users to present their views on anything and everything. However, it can also bring out the ugly side of people, which includes shameless self-promotion, hatred, and smugness. Plus, there are security concerns, too.

If you need to take a break from this micro-blogging site, then it’s very simple to just delete your account. Plus, if you want to regret deleting your account, you can easily recover it within thirty days. However, once the 30-day mark passes, your account is gone forever. Here is a guide that talks about how to delete a Twitter account.

How to Delete Twitter on Desktop

Wondering how to delete a Twitter account via PC? Well, it is quite simple and involves the following steps:

1. Go to twitter.com and sign in to your account.
2. Go to “More” and choose “Settings and Privacy”.
3. In the Account section, click on “Deactivate your account”.
4. Now, click on “Deactivate”.
5. Here, you will be prompted to enter your password. Enter it and click on the “Deactivate account”.

How to Delete Twitter on iOS or Android Device

If you prefer using Twitter on your Android or iOS device, then don’t worry about deleting your Twitter account. Not sure of how to delete a Twitter account using your device? Here’s all you have to do:

• Depending on the version you have, you will see a hamburger menu or a profile icon at the top of the screen. Tap in that.
• Now go to the Settings and Privacy menu and tap on Account.
• Tap on the “Deactivate Your Account” option.
• Next, tap on “Deactivate”.
• When prompted, enter your password and tap “Deactivate”.
• Finally, tap “Yes, Deactivate”.

How to Temporarily Deactivate or Delete Your Account

Once you deactivate your Twitter, the site will keep all of your data for just 30 days. After that, it will start to delete your data from its systems, and once that’s done, your account will be deleted forever. However, if you log into your Twitter account before the 30-day period is over, then your account is automatically reactivated. If you want to delete it permanently, you will have to start the whole process again.

Note that if you only want to change your email address or username, then there’s no need to delete your account. You can simply make these changes easily in the settings.
Also, according to Twitter, your account is deactivated almost immediately, but some of your account content might still be available for a few days. Moreover, Twitter doesn’t have any control over third-party sites, such as Bing or Google, that cache content to speed uploading. As a result, the content might be available somewhere else on the net.

If you want to make a new account using the same email address or username before the 30-day period, then you will have to switch the email address linked to your existing account before deleting it. Otherwise, you will need to wait for the deactivation period to end.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Deleting Twitter

While Twitter can be a great source of news and entertainment, many times, you might find yourself tempted enough to delete your account. Now that you know how to delete Twitter, the question is should you do it? Or should you keep your account? Here are the pros and cons that can help you decide:

Why You Should Keep Your Twitter Account

Here are some reasons why you should not delete your Twitter account:

Great Source of News

All the latest happenings are always updated on Twitter. As soon as something occurs, people rush to tweet about it, so you can always be up to date about the most recent developments.

You Know the Latest Trends

There’s always something new trending every day with hashtags, and you can also take part and give your opinion. You can also highlight important issues and bring them to the limelight.

Why You Should Delete Your Account

Despite being enjoyable, Twitter can be a toxic place. Here’s why you would want to consider deleting your account:

Hate Speech and Trolling

Trolling is perhaps the biggest problem of social media, and it affects everyone, including kids and celebrities. As the platform grows, the problem has only worsened. Another problem is individuals spouting hate speech. In particular, women are highly targeted, while sexuality and race are also factors.

Spammers

Twitter is quite popular for its fake and spam accounts that include nonsense responses and suspicious adult accounts. Once you sign up, you have a lot of requests from bogus accounts that are trying to sell you something. While it’s not difficult to identify fake accounts, it’s becoming quite difficult to do so since they have refined their methods over time.

False News

Fake news on social media spreads like wildfire, especially when it is broken down into small, easily digestible chunks. Images, quotes, and infographics are shared widely, and it only takes seconds to retweet something that fits your view of the world.

Plus, spreading fake news is also quite easy with relevant hashtags. You should also know that what you see on social media sites represents extremes and is posted by individuals with clear agendas. The same also takes place on a larger scale, with governments trying to change public opinion about certain events.

Addiction

Social media is designed to be addictive, and the same is the case with Twitter. Every retweet or like sends a notification to the user, tapping into the natural learning processes. And as you start to reinforce the behavior with extended use, your lifestyle can change. Being constantly active on Twitter can cause information overload. Plus, the user can easily become desensitized to the content being consumed.

Lack of Privacy

Twitter admits that it collects data from users. For instance, they use direct messages to show relevant content. Additional external data is also collected from third-party companies for advertising purposes. Data protection is another issue. In 2018, passwords were found to be stored in plain text as the result of a bug.

Conclusion

You now know how to delete Twitter and how to deactivate it. Whether it is because you want a break from social media or just because you find Twitter highly toxic, you can simply follow the steps outlined in this guide and delete your account.