Most of us enjoy social media, or at least aspects of it. We might not be on every platform, and we might not like them all equally, but in this day and age it’s a popular way to pass the time.
Some folks, though, decided somewhere along the way that the benefits don’t outweigh the risks. Whether something is going on in their personal life that makes having an online presence less desirable, they’re feeling addicted, or they’re looking to live a simpler way, it’s important to be able to delete your profiles on these apps if you want or need to.
Here’s how to deactivate or delete your accounts on these popular social networks.
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Facebook gives you two options if you’re feeling like you want off the site – deactivation or deletion.
When you deactivate your account, you’re hiding your information from searches and from your friends, but if you decide you want to activate it again, you’ll come back to a page that looks exactly as you left it.
If you’re just wanting a trial separation, go into your settings on Facebook and click Settings and Privacy, then Your Facebook Information. From there, click Deactivation and Deletion and choose Deactivate Account.
It will verify that’s what you want to do, and then give you some additional instructions to follow.
If you’re ready to break things off forever, you’ll want to request to delete your account altogether. From the Deactivation and Deletion menu, choose Delete Account, then Continue to Account Deletion. Enter your password, click Continue, and then Delete Account.
It will take a couple of days to complete it, and Facebook will cancel the request if you try to log in at all, so just take a few deep breaths and leave it be.
You can download all of the data on your account before deleting it, if you’re nervous. Go to Settings, then Your Facebook Information and then Download Your Information. Facebook will send you a link down download, but make sure you store it in a safe place once you do.
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You have to log into your IG account via the web in order to delete it, and your settings menu will only give you the option to temporarily disable your account, which will hide your profile, photos, likes, and comments, but they won’t go away entirely.
To delete your IG forever, enter the URL https://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent into your browser, then click Permanently Delete My Account.
Done!
TikTok
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There are plenty of reasons to be worried about the privacy settings on this app, and if you’re ready to chuck it for good, deleting it is easy.
Open the app, click on the Me section on the bottom right, then choose Manage My Account, then Delete My Account.
Confirm your choice and move on with your life!
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Twitter makes it easy for you to fly free, but before you leave the nest, you might want to download your archive – that’s all of your tweets in a chronological order.
Click your profile icon, to to Settings, then Account, and Your Twitter Data.
Once you’re ready to go, head back to Account Settings, then choose Deactivate My Account at the bottom of the list.
It takes 30 days for all of your data to be deleted, which gives you an opportunity for second thoughts if you have them.
Snapchat
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Snapchat has kind of fallen out of popularity with a rise in Instagram and TikTok use, and if you’re one of those who aren’t using it like you used to, here’s how to delete your account.
Just head to the company’s Accounts Portal, then type in your username and password to delete. Like with Twitter, you’ll have 30 days to change your mind before it’s gone forever.
There you have it! I don’t think I’m brave enough yet to go social media free, but I admire people who can!
Are you off many social networks? How is it going? Tell us about it in the comments!
