What Happens When You Delete Your TikTok Account
When you delete your TikTok account, it does not get deleted right away. According to TikTok’s support page on deleting accounts, your account first gets deactivated for 30 days before being permanently deleted (source).
During the 30 day deactivation period, your account is hidden from other users on TikTok. You will not be able to log in or access your account. However, TikTok keeps your data, such as videos, likes, comments, etc. After 30 days pass, TikTok will permanently delete all of that data from their servers.
So in summary, when you delete your TikTok account, it gets deactivated first for 30 days. After that deactivation period, TikTok completely deletes all your account data and content.
Can You Recover a Deleted TikTok Account
Yes, you can recover a deleted TikTok account as long as you act quickly within a 30 day window after deletion. According to an article by Business Insider (https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-recover-tiktok-account), TikTok keeps deleted accounts active for 30 days before permanently deleting them. This gives users a 30 day period to reactivate and recover their account if it was deleted by mistake or they change their mind.
The key is to act fast within that 30 day window. If you wait too long, after 30 days the deleted TikTok account will be permanently gone and irrecoverable through normal means. So if you regret deleting your TikTok or think you may want it back, immediately try to recover it within 30 days and you should be able to restore access to your old TikTok profile.
How to Recover Your Deleted TikTok Account
If you accidentally deleted your TikTok account, the easiest way to recover it is by logging back in with your username and password. TikTok keeps deleted accounts active for 30 days, so as long as it hasn’t been over a month, you should be able to regain access to your old profile.
To recover your deleted TikTok account:
- Open the TikTok app and tap “Log in” on the bottom right.
- Enter your username and password that was associated with the deleted account.
- Tap “Log in” again.
- You will be prompted with “Account Deleted. Reactivate account?” – tap “Reactivate.”
TikTok should then reactivate your old account with all your previous data intact, including followers, likes, comments, and videos. Essentially, it will be as if you never deleted your account in the first place.
One thing to note is that you need to use the original device that had your account logged in. Logging in from a new device will create a fresh account. You can also undo deleting your account by visiting https://www.tiktok.com/delete/send-code on a desktop browser and entering your info.
If you no longer have access to your password, you can tap “Forgot password?” on the login screen and reset it through email or phone verification. But you need to complete this process within 30 days or your account will be permanently deleted.
What to Do if You Can’t Recover Your Account
If you are unable to recover your deleted TikTok account through the steps outlined above, the next option is to contact TikTok support directly for assistance. You can reach out to TikTok via the in-app support options or through the contact form on their help site.
When contacting TikTok support, be prepared to provide as much information as possible to verify that you are the original account owner. Details like your phone number, email, username, links to the account profile or videos, and any other relevant account details will help TikTok identify you as the rightful owner.
According to TikTok’s support information, “If you forget your password, you can also use your mobile phone number to reset your password.” So your phone number associated with the account can be used to recover access in some cases (source).
Providing multiple points of verifiable information gives you the best chance of convincing TikTok support to restore your account access. Be patient, as it may take some time and back-and-forth communication before they can validate your ownership and assist you.
Getting Back a Deactivated TikTok Account
There is an important difference between deactivating and deleting a TikTok account. Deactivating an account temporarily disables it, while deleting is permanent. When you deactivate your TikTok account, all your content including videos, likes, comments, and messages will be hidden, but not erased.
You can easily reactivate a deactivated TikTok account at any time. Just open the TikTok app, tap ‘Log in’ and enter your username and password. This will restore your account along with all the previous data. Reactivating is instant, and your account will be public again right away.
On the other hand, deleting your TikTok account permanently removes everything tied to it. According to TikTok’s policies, a deleted account cannot be restored. Any username or data associated with a deleted account is unavailable for anyone else to claim after. So deactivating gives you an option to take a break from TikTok without losing your account, while deletion is final.
If your account was accidentally or wrongfully deactivated, immediately contacting TikTok support can help recover it before 30 days. But there are no such chances if your TikTok account gets deleted.
Recovering a Hacked or Suspended TikTok Account
If your TikTok account has been hacked or suspended, you may be able to recover it by taking the following steps:
First, if your account has been hacked, immediately change your password to lock out the hacker. Go to the TikTok login page and tap “Forgot password?” to reset it. Also turn on two-factor authentication in your account settings for extra security.
Next, contact TikTok support through their Help Center. Explain that your account has been hacked or suspended. Provide details on when you first noticed the problem. TikTok may request verification of your identity.
According to TikTok’s support page, https://support.tiktok.com/en/log-in-troubleshoot/log-in/my-account-has-been-hacked, you can tap the Report button on videos posted by the hacker and report the account as hacked. TikTok moderators can then investigate suspicious content or behavior.
Be patient as it may take some time for TikTok to investigate your claim and restore your account access. Persist with your requests for help if needed. Provide any additional details the support team asks for.
With quick action to secure your account and persistence contacting TikTok support, you should be able to recover control of your hacked or suspended TikTok account in most cases.
Using a New Account After Losing Access
If you are unable to recover your old TikTok account, you may want to start fresh with a new account. When creating a new account, you’ll need to sign up with a different email and phone number than your previous account. TikTok’s terms state you cannot create multiple accounts, so use caution when starting over.
Once your new account is created, you have the option to repost old videos that you still have saved. Download any videos you want to reuse from your camera roll or computer. Then upload them to your new TikTok account like normal. Your previous captions, sounds and effects will not carry over, so you’ll need to add those elements again.
If you had a large following on your old account, letting fans know you have a new profile can help migrate them to your new page. You can promote your new handle on other social platforms where you still have access.
While starting over may seem frustrating, a new account gives you a blank slate to rebuild your audience and try new content ideas. Focus on creating great new videos that will attract followers organically over time.
Losing TikTok Followers and Data
When you delete your TikTok account, you will lose all of your followers and posts on the platform. This can have a significant impact, especially if you have spent a long time building up a large following and posting quality content.
According to a Reddit user, deleting your account can trigger a “follower drain” where you rapidly lose followers in the days and weeks after deletion before the account is fully removed by TikTok. They recommend warning your followers beforehand so they know you are deleting your account.
“Is there any way to stop losing followers?” www.reddit.com
Losing followers means losing a core part of your audience and community on TikTok. You’ll have to start over from zero followers if you later decide to create a new account. Rebuilding the same follower count can be extremely difficult without your old posts and engagement still on the platform.
According to Quora users, TikTok also regularly purges inactive accounts from follower counts. So even inactive followers will be removed after you delete your TikTok account. This makes recovering the same number of followers unlikely.
“I keep losing TikTok followers and I think there is something wrong. What should I do?” www.quora.com
Overall, the impact of losing followers, posts, and engagement history by deleting your account can be significant. It’s important to consider this before deciding to permanently delete your TikTok account.
TikTok Account Deletion Policies
When you delete your TikTok account, TikTok has specific policies for how long they retain your data and what happens to your account. According to TikTok’s support page, if you delete your account, your account is deactivated for 30 days before being permanently deletedhttps://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/deleting-an-account.
During the 30 day deactivation period, you can still log back into your account and reactivate it before the deadline. After 30 days, TikTok states that your account is permanently deleted along with your videos, likes, comments, messages, and any other data associated with your accounthttps://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/deleting-an-account/deleting-an-account. You will not be able to retrieve your old account or data after the 30 day period.
If you only deactivate your account instead of deleting it, your profile, videos, likes, and followers are hidden but not deleted. You can reactivate a deactivated account at any time to restore your contenthttps://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/deleting-an-account/deactivate-your-account.
In summary, TikTok fully deletes accounts 30 days after requesting deletion, but deactivating retains your data. Make sure you understand the difference before choosing to delete or deactivate your TikTok account.
Alternatives to Deleting Your TikTok
Instead of permanently deleting your TikTok account, you may want to consider some alternatives that allow you to take a break or reset your account while still retaining your followers and previous content if you change your mind.
One option is to temporarily disable your account, which removes it from view but keeps all your information stored in TikTok’s system. You can reactivate your account at any time by logging back in. Refer to TikTok’s support site for instructions on how to temporarily disable your account (https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-profile/managing-your-account/how-do-i-temporarily-disable-my-account).
Alternatively, you can choose to make your account private, which restricts your videos and profile information to only people you approve as followers. This lets you maintain your account while controlling who can see your content.
You can also delete individual videos you no longer want on your profile. Simply go to the video, tap the share icon, select “Delete,” and confirm the deletion. This removes the video while keeping your account active.
If you’re looking for a fresh start, you can opt to change your username, profile photo and bio. This essentially gives you a new identity on TikTok without losing your previous posts and followers.
Consider these options before resorting to completely deleting your TikTok account, as they allow you to take a break or reset your profile while retaining your data and social connections if you choose to come back.
