So you rely on Telegram for secure messaging – but now you need to leave Telegram for good. Maybe data privacy concerns have you considering alternatives, or perhaps you simply no longer use Telegram‘s app.
Either way, this step-by-step guide details exactly how to permanently delete your Telegram account across all platforms. I‘ll walk you through:
- The background on why Telegram users quit
- Instructions deleting your Telegram account on desktop and mobile
- Key considerations before you deleting your account
- Top encrypted messaging alternatives recommend by experts
Let‘s get started so you can take back control of your communications privacy!
Overview: Why Do People Delete Their Telegram Accounts?
Before diving into how to delete your Telegram account, it helps to understand common reasons driving users like you to quit Telegram:
Privacy Limitations
While Telegram does offer end-to-end encryption by default for chats, recent audits have revealed vulnerabilities in their infrastructure allowing sophisticated attackers potential backdoor access.
As Gabriel Cirlig, Cybersecurity Researcher at Bitdefender told Forbes:
"Telegram has become a kind of Frankenstein platform – combining robust encryption with surveillance potential"
So for users like you concerned about privacy, quitting Telegram for more locked-down apps makes sense.
Negative Experiences
Beyond privacy issues, you may want to delete Telegram due to:
- Account hacks
- Harassment or threats in groups/channels
- Sudden ban or removal from Telegram communities
Without proper oversight, these incidents unfortunately occur on Telegram often enough to prompt users like you to leave.
Now let‘s get into step-by-step guides tailored to you for permanently deleting your Telegram account on both desktop and mobile…
How to Delete Telegram Account on Desktop Web
If you primarily use Telegram by signing into the web app on your laptop or desktop, deleting your account takes just a few clicks:
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Visit my.telegram.org: This is Telegram‘s account management portal for the web. Signing in here allows you to alter sensitive account settings.
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Input your phone number to begin:
Be sure to include your country code – like +1 for US phone numbers – so Telegram can identify your account.
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Copy the confirmation code Telegram sends you:
To verify it‘s really your account, Telegram sends a 5-digit code to your Telegram app.
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Head to Privacy and Security settings:
Then scroll down and click "Delete Account"
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Select why you want to delete your Telegram account:
Telegram requests feedback on why you‘re leaving so they can improve features.
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Read their warning, then confirm Yes, delete my account:
Once you permanently confirm, Telegram wipes all your account data from their servers.
And that‘s it! Following those steps signs you out of Telegram for good across all devices.
Let‘s move on to deleting your account directly on your iPhone or Android next.
How to Delete Telegram from Your iPhone
If you use Telegram‘s iOS mobile app daily, here is how to remove your account right from your iPhone:
- Open the Telegram app on your iPhone
- Go to Settings > Privacy and Security
- Choose If Away For > Delete My Account
- Select to auto-delete after 1 week/1 month/6 months absence
- Let your chosen duration expire without opening Telegram
Once your selected away period passes without launching Telegram, your account is permanently deleted along with all its data.
Deleting Your Telegram Account on Android
Prefer to manage apps on your Android device? Deleting your Telegram account straight from Android is similarly easy:
- Launch the Telegram app on your Android phone
- Tap the hamburger menu (3 horizontal lines)
- Choose Settings > Privacy & Security
- Scroll down and select Delete My Account
- Pick 1 month absence to automatically erase your account
- Ignore Telegram for 1 month and it will delete your account
Here is a short video visually walking through deleting your Telegram account on Android phones:
As you can see, removing your account is very straightforward whether you primarily use Telegram on desktop or mobile.
But before pulling the plug on your Telegram account, let‘s explore key considerations you should make first.
What to Consider Before You Delete Your Telegram Account
While leaving Telegram for good offers certain benefits, understand a few critical implications before deleting your account:
Permanent Erasure
Unlike disabling your Telegram account, deleting your account erases all associated data from Telegram‘s servers. Your chat history, media files, contacts added, and any other account information is wiped clean.
Cuts Ties With All Telegram Communities
Another ramification is that deleting your Telegram severs your access to any groups or channels you‘ve joined. You can no longer participate or get notifications from these Telegram communities going forward.
Backup Your Account Data First
I advise you take a few minutes to:
- Export your Telegram data locally so you retain chat logs, contacts, and media you want to keep
- Document any essential group/channel IDs to be able to find them again in a different app
This ensures you don‘t lose personal data or access to certain communities that remain important to you.
Below I‘ve created a comparison table examining how Telegram stacks up to alternatives on encryption/privacy:
| App | Encryption Method | Privacy Controversies | Owned By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | MTProto 2.0 | Server-side holes allowing potential surveillance access | Telegram Messenger, Inc |
| Signal | Signal Protocol | None currently known | Non-profit Signal Foundation |
| Signal Protocol | Leaked chats through unauthorized backups in 2019 | Meta Platforms, Inc | |
| Threema | NaCl + proprietary algos | None; minimal user data retention policies | Threema GmbH |
Using that criteria, apps like Signal or Threema may better suit your needs if prioritizing privacy over Telegram.
Next let‘s explore the top alternatives to Telegram recommended by cybersecurity experts.
Experts Choice – Best 5 Alternatives to Telegram
Here are the top encrypted messaging apps experts suggest as the most private/secure alternatives to Telegram right now:
1. Signal
Infosec professionals widely praise Signal as Telegram‘s most encrypted alternative. It offers gold standard, end-to-end encryption powered by an open protocol called the Signal Protocol for all your chats and VoIP calls.
As a non-profit focused purely on enabling private communication, Signal also rolls out infrastructure updates much quicker than Telegram to address vulnerabilities.
Downsides: Smaller user base and requires disclosing some phone number/contact metadata
2. Threema
For an ultra-secure alternative developed specifically in Switzerland under strong privacy laws, Threema is incredibly locked down. It generates anonymized user IDs so you don‘t have to share personal info like your phone number.
Threema also implements end-to-end encryption with algorithms from the NaCl library combined with additional proprietary ciphers designed in-house.
Downsides: Paid app, smaller global user base
3. Viber
While experts argue Viber has more metadata/tracking than Signal or Threema, it does provide robust end-to-end encryption with the added bonus of supporting 1000+ users in group chats. This makes it one of the best Telegram alternatives for large scale community messaging.
Downsides: Requires sharing personal phone number, owned by Japanese conglomerate Rakuten
4. Session
For open source fans, Session is built using the same encrypted protocols as Signal. But as decentralized, peer-to-peer messaging network – meaning no central servers to subpoena – Session aims to provide additional anti-surveillance protections.
Downsides: Very new; requires some technical know-how
5. Briar
Taking decentralization even further, Briar allows directly connecting to nearby users via Bluetooth or WiFi for sharing secure messages without any internet connectivity at all.
While niche, Briar‘s unique "darknet" approach makes it essentially impossible to tap communications revealing user locations/identities.
Downsides: Only works locally in peer-to-peer range; no cloud backup
More Questions? Telegram Account Deletion FAQs
Let me answer a few more common questions about deleting your Telegram account permanently as we wrap up:
Q: Can I recover my Telegram account after deleting it?
No. Unlike deactivating your account, once deletion is confirmed Telegram wipes all your data for good. There is no recovery option.
Q: What types of data are erased when I delete my Telegram account?
Deleting your account removes your cloud chat history, contacts/friends, group/channel memberships, saved media, payment information, notifications, and all other account data from Telegram‘s servers.
Q: Is there a temporary way to disable Telegram instead of fully deleting?
Yes! You can temporarily disable your account while retaining your data for reactivation later. Head to Settings > Privacy & Security and toggle "Active Sessions" off. This pauses notifications without deletion.
Q: Can someone else sign up again with my same phone number after deletion?
Yes they can. Once your phone number dissociates from Telegram via account deletion, anyone (including you) can register a brand new Telegram account with that same phone again.
I hope this step-by-step guide gave you clarity on how to permanently delete your Telegram account plus expert insight into the top privacy-focused alternatives! Let me know if any other questions come up.
