Telegram account deletion checklist — complete these 11 steps before permanently deleting your account
Telegram account deletion checklist
Don’t lose your data. Complete all 11 steps below before permanently deleting your Telegram account — takes about 15 minutes.
11
Steps to complete
~15
Minutes needed
4
Must-do tasks
How this checklist works
Click any step to mark it complete
Watch your progress bar fill up
Complete all 11 steps at your own pace
Hit the delete button when ready
Export your chat history Must do
Settings → Advanced → Export Telegram Data. Choose chats, media, and date range.
Save important photos & videos Must do
Download media from Saved Messages and key chats to your device or cloud storage.
Copy important contact numbers
Telegram doesn’t auto-share contacts. Note numbers of people you may lose touch with.
Download files from Saved Messages Optional
Documents, voice notes, or files in Saved Messages will be permanently lost after deletion.
Transfer channel ownership Must do
Channel → Manage Channel → Administrators → Transfer ownership to a trusted admin.
Hand off group admin rights
Assign a new admin to any groups you manage so members aren’t left leaderless.
Notify group or channel members Optional
Let your community know you’re leaving and share your alternative contact.
Revoke active sessions on other devices Must do
Settings → Privacy and Security → Active Sessions → Terminate all other sessions.
Unlink third-party apps using Telegram login
Services where you signed in with Telegram will lose access. Update those logins first.
Remove payment methods Optional
Settings → Privacy and Security → Payment Information → Clear saved payment details.
Inform close contacts you’re leaving Optional
Send a message to important contacts with your alternative contact method before you go.
You’re ready to delete your Telegram account
All 11 steps complete. You can now safely and permanently delete your account.
Go to Telegram deletion pageTo permanently delete your Telegram account, visit my.telegram.org in any browser, enter your phone number, verify with the code sent via Telegram, then click Delete Account. Alternatively, open the Telegram app, go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Delete My Account. Once confirmed, your account and all associated data are permanently and irreversibly removed from Telegram’s servers.
To delete your Telegram user account, go to my.telegram.org, sign in with your phone number, and select Delete Account. You can also do this inside the Telegram app under Settings → Privacy and Security → Delete My Account. This deletes your entire account including all messages, media, contacts, and groups you own — it cannot be undone.
Deleting your Telegram account automatically and permanently deletes all associated data from Telegram’s servers — including messages, media, contacts, and channel memberships. Before doing so, export a copy via Settings → Advanced → Export Telegram Data on the desktop app. Once your account is deleted, this data cannot be recovered.
In the Telegram app, go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Delete My Account — this sets an auto-delete inactivity timer. To delete immediately, visit my.telegram.org in a browser, log in with your phone number, and click Delete Account. There is no single one-tap instant delete button inside the mobile app itself.
To delete your Telegram account permanently on Android, open Chrome or any browser and go to my.telegram.org. Enter your phone number, receive the verification code in your Telegram app, enter it on the website, then tap Delete Account and confirm. You cannot delete the account permanently from inside the Android app alone — the browser method at my.telegram.org is required.
To delete your Telegram account on iPhone, open Safari and visit my.telegram.org. Sign in with your phone number, enter the verification code sent to your Telegram app, then select Delete Account and confirm. The process is identical to Android — you must use the web portal, not the iPhone app itself, to permanently delete your account.
You cannot delete a Telegram account without a verification code, as Telegram requires phone number verification for all account actions including deletion. If you no longer have access to your phone number, contact your mobile carrier to recover it, or use an active Telegram session on another device to receive the code. There is no official way to bypass this verification requirement.
Yes. Telegram automatically deletes inactive accounts after a set inactivity period. The default is 6 months, but you can change it to 1 month, 3 months, or 1 year under Settings → Privacy and Security → Delete My Account If Away For. When the timer expires, Telegram permanently deletes your account along with all your messages, media, and contacts.