How to Delete Snapchat [All You Need To Know]

Are you fed up with dog filters, maintaining Snapstreaks, or your friends sending you snaps every two minutes? 

It’s understandable.

So, if you want to give up the ghost and take a break from the app – we’re here for the rescue. 

Let us show you how to delete Snapchat!

What Is Snapchat? 

Snapchat is a messaging and social networking application for smartphones that is entirely free to download and use. With it, you can send text messages, photos, and videos to your loved ones on any Android or iOS device.

Snapchat is different from other messaging apps since most of its messages are only meant to be seen by the recipient for a short amount of time. When someone sees a picture or video you’ve posted, it’ll vanish and cannot be retrieved.

Now, before we step on to how to delete a Snapchat account, let’s look at some interesting facts about the app. 

First of all, its original name was “Picaboo,” and its creators developed it for a group project at Stanford University… 

Where their fellow students were quite unimpressed.

However, the joke’s on them because, after its 2011 launch, Snapchat quickly became one of the world’s most popular apps.

In fact, according to the statistics, Snapchat’s monthly active users in 2021 were almost 500 million. An impressive number, isn’t it?

Nonetheless, since you’re reading this article, you probably need a break from those 500 million people… So let’s cut to the chase:

How to Delete Snapchat?   

Maybe you wish you spent less time on the app. Or perhaps you got restricted, and instead of unblocking your Snapchat account, you chose to delete it. 

Don’t worry. We’re not here to judge or play psychic, trying to guess why you chose to deactivate Snapchat. 

We’re only here to help you do it!

If you’ve decided you no longer want your Snapchat account, there are just a few simple steps you need to follow to deactivate it.

Bear in mind that Snapchat won’t immediately delete your account after completing these steps. It’ll be disabled for 30 days, giving you the option to change your mind. 

After 30 days, all of your account’s data will be automatically removed. Contacts, memories, friends, and stories will all be erased.

Before you choose to delete Snapchat, you may want to download your app data. Unfortunately, you can’t do that via the app. You must go to accounts.snapchat.com and sign in using your profile details.

Then, go to My Data, and click on Submit Request. You’ll later get an email from Snapchat with the data you’ve requested.

How to Delete Snapchat Account on a Computer

The process is easy and only takes a few simple steps: 

1. Sign in to your Snapchat account by going to accounts.snapchat.com in a web browser. 

Note: If you’ve enabled login verification, you’ll get a code through text message that you’ll need to type into the little empty box to log in.

2. Once you’re in, select Delete My Account under Manage My Account.

3. Enter your username and password in the blanks on the next page and click on the Continue button.

4. You’ll see a notification indicating that your account has been disabled.

After your deactivation request, you’ll be logged out immediately. Snapchat permanently deletes accounts 30 days after they’ve been deactivated. 

How to Delete Snapchat Account on an Android/iOS Device

Deleting your Snapchat account on a mobile device isn’t much different or harder than doing it on a computer. Just follow the steps below: 

1. Open the Snapchat app and log in.
2. Tap your avatar in the upper left corner.
   
3. Then, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner.
   
4. Scroll all the way down to Account Actions, and tap on Delete Account. 
   
   
5. You’ll be asked to log in once again. 
6. Finally, the app will redirect you to the Snapchat account deletion page, where you have to fill in your username and password. 
   
7. And voila! Your Snapchat account deactivation is complete.

How to Reactivate Snapchat?

Of course, you have the option to change your mind and restore your Snapchat account within the 30-day deactivation period.

All you have to do is log in with your username and password. After which, you’ll receive a message telling you that your account is currently deactivated.

After Snapchat deactivation, it may take up to 24 hours before the account is restored. If you try to access it within that time, you may get a Cannot find the user error message. Try again in a few minutes until you log back in.

If you change your mind and want to go back on Snapchat after the 30-day period, you can make an entirely new account. 

The bad news is – you won’t be able to use your old username, even if it hasn’t been taken by anyone else.

You’d also have to re-add all of your friends and recreate whatever content you’d previously had due to the deletion of all your data.

Wrap Up

So, now that you know how to delete Snapchat and what the consequences of this might be, make sure you really want it before pulling the plug!

However, if you’re not entirely certain, Snapchat gives you enough leeway to change your mind after deactivation. 

That way, you can simply take a break and recharge instead of completely turning your back on the app.