Go to X (formerly Twitter) settings, tap Your account, then Deactivate your account, confirm with your password. X keeps the account deactivated for 30 days before permanent deletion, during which logging back in reactivates it. After 30 days, data is removed and cannot be recovered, so download your archive first if you want to keep it.
Before you start
Deleting your X (formerly Twitter) account is not instant. There is no single button that wipes everything the moment you press it. Instead, X uses a deactivation period, and only after that period ends does permanent deletion begin behind the scenes.
I want to be plain about this because people get confused and think they have deleted their account when they have only deactivated it. If you log back in during the 30 day window, the account comes straight back to life.
So before you touch any settings, decide if you want everything gone. Once the 30 days pass, there is no getting your tweets, followers, or messages back.
Download your data first
If there is any chance you will want your old tweets, photos, or direct messages later, download your archive now. This is the only safety net you get.
Go to Settings and privacy, then Your account, then Download an archive of your data. X will ask you to confirm your password and may send a code to your phone or email.
The archive can take a while to prepare. You will get a notification when it is ready. Download it and store it somewhere safe before you move on to deactivating the account.
Step by step: how to deactivate your account
Here is the process as it stands. Menu names can shift slightly over time, but the overall path has stayed consistent.
- Log in to X on the web or in the app.
- Tap your profile icon, then go to Settings and privacy.
- Select Your account.
- Choose Deactivate your account.
- Read the information X shows you, then tap Deactivate.
- Enter your password to confirm.
Once confirmed, you are logged out and the account is deactivated immediately. Your profile, tweets, and likes disappear from public view straight away.
What happens during the 30 day window
For 30 days, X holds your account in a kind of limbo. Nothing is visible to other users, but the data has not been erased.
If you change your mind and log back in with your username and password during this window, the account reactivates and everything returns as it was.
If you do not log in at all during those 30 days, X then moves to permanently delete the account and its associated data. I cannot tell you the exact internal timeline X uses after that point, since X does not publish precise details, but the public facing account and its content are gone.
What gets deleted and what might not
Your tweets, replies, likes, followers list, and direct messages tied to the account are removed from public view once deactivated, and eventually deleted after the 30 day period.
Some things are harder to control. If other people have quoted your tweets, screenshotted them, or embedded them on their own sites, that content exists outside your account and X deletion will not touch it.
I cannot promise that every trace of your activity disappears from every corner of the internet. What I can say plainly is that X removes the account itself and the data directly tied to it once the process completes.
If you cannot log in to deactivate
Sometimes people have lost access to the email or phone number linked to their account, or they have forgotten their password entirely.
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Start with the standard password reset option on the X login page. Use whatever recovery email or phone number you originally set up, even an old one, since X often still has it on file.
If that fails, X has a help centre with account recovery forms for cases like this. It is a slower route and there is no guarantee of success, so it is worth trying every password and email combination you can remember first.
Permanent deletion versus simply going quiet
Some people do not want full deletion. They just want a break. If that is you, deactivation on its own, left alone without a plan to come back, achieves that for now, but remember it is not the same as permanent removal.
If your goal is truly to be done with X for good, you need to let the full 30 days pass without logging in anywhere, on any device, including any app that might auto login.
Check that you are logged out of X on your phone, tablet, and any browser where you stayed signed in. One accidental auto login resets the clock.
A few things worth checking afterwards
Once you believe the account is gone, try searching your old username on X. If the profile does not load and shows no results, that is a reasonable sign deletion has gone through.
Check any apps or websites where you used Sign in with X. You will need to set up alternative logins for those services separately, since the X linked login will no longer work.
Finally, remove any X widgets, embedded feeds, or links from your own website or email signature. There is no point leaving a dead link pointing to an account that no longer exists.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to permanently delete an X account?
X deactivates your account immediately, then holds it for 30 days before moving towards permanent deletion. You must avoid logging in during that window, or the account reactivates automatically.
Can I get my X account back after 30 days?
Once the 30 day deactivation window passes and X completes deletion, I cannot say the account or its data can be recovered. Download your archive beforehand if you want to keep anything.
Will deleting my X account remove my tweets from Google search?
Your tweets should stop appearing once the account is deactivated and later deleted, though search engines can take time to update their index, and cached or screenshotted copies may still exist elsewhere.
What if I forgot my X password and email?
Try the password reset tool with every email or phone number you have ever used on the account. If that fails, X's help centre has account recovery forms, though success is not guaranteed.
More X and Twitter fixes: the X help guide.
