How to Delete Snapchat Account? (2020)

October 3, 2020 5:45 pm

Edited By Piyush Kashyap, Reviewed By Gulshan

Snapchat is an instant messaging app with millions of active users. The app became popular as soon as it became available on Android, iOS, and Windows devices.

The teens and young people found it most interesting because of its feature of snaps (pictures and videos) disappearing after being viewed.

This feature has been favorable in increasing its popularity. However, it has also increased digital addiction and screen time of young minds distracting them from the world and risked their online privacy.

Many users are, therefore, deleting their Snapchat accounts as well as their children accounts to reduce virtual distraction.

Steps to Delete Snapchat Account

Follow the steps mentioned below to delete your Snapchat account using the portal:

Step 1: Visit https://acounts.snapchat.com from your browser and log in to your account using your username and password.

Step 2: Click the ‘delete my account’ tab, where you will be asked to enter your username and password again. Follow the steps given below to reach the ‘delete my account’ tab:

1
Login to your account.
2
Scroll down and click the ‘support’ tab under the ‘company’ tab.
3
Click ‘learning the basics’.
4
Then click ‘Account settings’
5
There you will find ‘delete my account’
6
Enter your details and click ‘continue’

Deleting the Account Using the App in an iOS or Android Device

You cannot delete your account using the app. However, it can lead you to the link on the portal on your iOS or Android device without you having to open your laptop or PC.

1
Login to your app.
2
Click your avatar on the top left corner
3
Then click the gear icon on the top right corner.
4
Now select ‘Help Centre’ under the ‘Support’ section.
5
Then look for ‘Account information’ in the ‘My Account and Security’ tab
6
The ‘Account information’ tab will have ‘Delete My Account’.
7
This will take you to the portal to delete the account using the steps mentioned above.

Deactivation vs Deleting a Snapchat Account

When you finally delete your account, it first gets deactivated for thirty days. It is a way of Snapchat giving people time to make up their minds about permanently deleting the account. The user must keep the username and password during his time in case they want to login.

The reactivation process is also as simple as the user is required to log in again using the username and password. However, the user needs to wait for at least 24 hours before reactivating the deactivated account. During the deactivation period, the user’s friends will not be able to connect with the user.

After 30 days of deactivation of the account, the account is then permanently deleted. All the settings, stories, chats, snaps, locations, and data are removed from the device and Snapchat’s central user database.

However, Snapchat still keeps some personal information about the user for security, business, or legal purposes. The data is about the purchases and the acceptance of the terms and conditions.

Downloading the Copy of your Account

In the time when data is everything, wouldn’t you want to download a copy of your Snapchat account data? Here is what you can do to download data before signing off permanently from your Snapchat account:

1
Visit accounts.snapchat.com and login to your account. Now click ‘My Data’
2
There, you will find a link ‘Submit Request’ at the bottom of the page. On clicking that link, an email will be sent to your verified email address.
3
Login into your email and look for an email from Snapchat with the link ’data is ready to download’
4
Click the link and your downloading will start. You will find this data in a ZIP format in the name ‘My Data’

Remember that you will be able to download your account data before account deactivation.

Ways to Keep your Data Safe

The digital world has reduced the geographical distance, improved connectivity, and made our lives faster and convenient. All of this is possible because of the personal information provided by us at different platforms.

However, if you are not careful, this information might get into the wrong hands. Therefore, always use social media platforms with care and awareness. Given below are some ways that you can use to protect your privacy while using online services:

Always use VPN to keep your credentials and private information safe. It encrypts your data for it is always under the watch for both good and bad.
Keep your browsing configuration free from tracking. Also, clear your browsing history and cache regularly. The longer your use the internet, the more you should do it.
Google is the most used search engine and thus, continuously collects data. Keep its privacy settings high and try other search engines from time to time.
Look for the URLs of the websites you are visiting. Every site has a security license that is reflected in its URL. Educate yourself on this and visit only secure websites. Do not open the site you are not sure of.
Invest in an authentic and performing malware or antivirus for your mobile devices and computers.
The cloud services are beneficial to use in terms of storage. To make it secure as well, do not forget to encrypt the data before uploading it to any cloud services. Also, maintain strong passwords to access your account.
Educate yourself and stay updated about privacy policies and settings of social media and email platforms.

Reasons for Deleting the Snapchat Account

People may have different reasons to delete their Snapchat account. Some of them are listed below:

For some people, it is a risk to online privacy and security. The former Snapchat employees have confirmed the same. The internal app SnapLion has been used many times to access the personal data of the users
It is a handy distraction especially for teenagers and the young generation. Parents or guardians, therefore, want young people to stay away from it. Where the app claims to maintain data privacy by keeping it temporary, the data’s easy accessibility on Facebook and Tinder makes it questionable
The recent change in the design and the jokes on self-image and domestic violence offended many users wanting to leave the platform. The App stories feature also poses security questions because it allows users to post stories directly from the app camera.
Some people want to delete their Snapchat account simply because they want social media detox. Going through the life updates of friends may be frustrating as not all Snapchat friends are real friends. Wanting to stay updated on social media platforms, induces FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) even for unnecessary things. It eventually leads to digital addiction.
Snapchat also seemed to stay silent over the Cambridge Analytica scandal where users’ data from Facebook was hacked. This also made many users lose their trust and want to delete the account.

Whatever the reason one has, deleting the Snapchat account is as easy and convenient as signing up. Follow the simple steps, wait for 30 days, and you can permanently say goodbye to Snapchat.

Piyush

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About the Author

Piyush Kashyap is a Ph.D student at Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur. He is a budding editor/ writer and has been working as a part-time reviewer for online content. He loves to read tech-based articles and has a knack for reviewing such articles He likes to stay updated about the latest trends in technology. He has also been working as a reviewer for many scientific journals. He also writes articles based on science. Know More About Piyush

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