Telegram is a freemium, cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging service that is available worldwide. End-to-end encrypted chats and video calling, VoIP, file sharing, and a variety of other features are also available. It was released for iOS on August 14, 2013, and for Android on October 20, 2013.
Telegram has recently received a lot of criticism from security experts all over the world. The main reason experts are turning away customers is the discovery that Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption by default.
Why You Should Delete Your Telegram Account
Despite the fact that Telegram has some useful features, there are several reasons why you might want to deactivate your Telegram account. Here are a few reasons why you should delete Telegram:Telegram Is No Longer Your Best App
With so many instant messaging apps available, Telegram may no longer be the best messaging app for your needs. Perhaps a new IM app has arrived in town, and you’d like to shift your conversations there.
Telegram’s Friends Are Leaving
Some of your friends and family members may no longer be on Telegram. As a result, you’re following them away from Telegram to greener pastures in order to stay in touch.
Do Telegram’s Policies Concern You?
It’s also possible that you’re uncomfortable with Telegram’s open policies and diverse community. According to multiple reports, Telegram is a hotbed for illegal activity and hosts channels where users can easily download free movies or music tracks.
You Don’t Believe Telegram
Telegram does not encrypt chats by default, and some have criticized its security model. In comparison, its competitor Signal is generally regarded as more trustworthy in terms of security and privacy.
Deactivating Your Telegram Account
Telegram automatically deletes your account after six months of inactivity. You can, however, change that setting and specify how long Telegram should wait before deleting your profile. You can set it to a month, three months, or a full year in addition to six months.
The self-destruct option is available in the settings of the Telegram Android and iOS apps. Tap the three-bar menu button in the top-left corner of the app and select Settings. Next, navigate to the Privacy & Security page and scroll down to the Delete my account section.
Select the If away for entry checkbox and enter the new inactivity duration after which your account will self-destruct.
You cannot temporarily deactivate your Telegram account. The only option you have is to deactivate your Telegram profile. You can uninstall the Telegram apps from your computer and phone if that helps.
Download: Telegram for Android | iOS (Free)
How to Get Rid of Your Telegram Account
If you can’t wait a month, Telegram allows you to delete your account and data immediately. The tool is not available in any of the native apps and can only be accessed via the web. This works on both desktop and mobile browsers.
To deactivate your Telegram account, go to My Telegram, enter your Telegram phone number in international number format, and then click Next.
A confirmation code will be sent to you via Telegram rather than SMS, so make sure you have access to your Telegram account in order to retrieve the code.
Sign In after entering the code in the “Confirmation code” box.
On the following screen, click the Delete Account button. Fill in the blanks with your reason for leaving. When you’re finished, click the Delete My Account button.
Select the red Yes, Delete My Account option in the prompt and that’s it. Telegram will delete your account and data permanently.
What Happens When You Delete Your Telegram Account
Before deleting your Telegram profile forever, it’s best to understand the consequences of doing so.
When you delete your account, Telegram says it gets rid of all of your chats and data. Your account is terminated permanently and your messages, as well as contacts, are deleted beyond retrieval.
The channels and groups you created will continue to function normally even if you delete Telegram, and existing admins will keep their access. If you are the sole admin, Telegram will appoint an active member as the new admin at random.
Furthermore, Telegram will not allow you to create a new account with the same phone number for at least a few days. Furthermore, deleting an account that has been restricted due to spam-related activity will not remove the restriction.
As a result, this guide is not intended for users who simply want to delete all of their Telegram conversations. You can do this by opening the Telegram app and long-pressing on the chats you want to delete. To delete the highlighted conversations, tap the trash can at the top.
Alternatively, you can contact Telegram’s customer support and request that all of your chats be removed from their servers.
How to Export Your Telegram Data Before Leaving
Telegram does not allow you to temporarily disable your account. When you delete Telegram, you can’t go back in time and reactivate your account or read your old messages.
Fortunately, Telegram’s desktop clients include an export option in case you want to save any conversations for future reference.
Install the Telegram app on your PC and sign in to use it. To reveal the navigation menu, click the three bars in the top-right corner and select Settings. Scroll down until you see the option to Export Telegram Data.
Enter that and then select the type of data you want to export. You can specify which chats are extracted, whether public channels should be excluded, whether the archive should include videos or GIFs, the export format, and more. You can even download only the stickers you’ve previously sent on Telegram.
Click Export, and Telegram will finish the extraction in a few minutes, depending on the size of your data. To view the file, select Show My Data.
Download: Telegram for Mac | Windows | Linux (Free)
Is It Time to Uninstall Telegram?
Telegram is a powerful messaging platform that is available on a variety of platforms. However, if you’ve made the decision to leave Telegram, these methods will assist you in deleting your Telegram account while preserving your chat data locally on your computer.
If you’re still looking for a new place to hold your digital conversations, there are a few Telegram alternatives to consider.
No, you can only delete your Telegram account through the dedicated web portal; it is not possible to do so through any version of the app.
No, once you delete your account, you will no longer be able to access it, which is why we recommend checking your Chats and account for important information and notifying others via the app that you are deleting your account.