TikTok is a popular video-sharing social networking app where users can watch, create, and share short videos typically ranging from 15 seconds to 3 minutes. As of December 2022, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide according to Backlinko making it one of the most popular social media platforms today.
With its huge popularity, many users may wish to delete or deactivate their TikTok accounts for various reasons like privacy concerns, stopping addiction, or losing interest in the platform. Understanding how to delete your TikTok account properly is important for users who no longer wish to use the platform.
Reasons To Delete TikTok
There are a few key reasons why someone may want to delete their TikTok account:
Privacy and Data Concerns
TikTok has faced scrutiny over its data collection practices and privacy protections, especially when it comes to younger users. Some are worried about how much personal data TikTok may be gathering and what they’re doing with it (ThriveGlobal).
Addictiveness and Wasting Time
The TikTok algorithm is very effective at keeping people engaged, which can lead to wasting a lot of time mindlessly scrolling. Some find it becomes addictive and want to reclaim that time for other activities.
Cyberbullying or Negative Experiences
Like any social media platform, TikTok can enable cyberbullying and expose people to negativity. If someone has had bad experiences or interactions on TikTok, deleting it may help protect their mental health and avoid further issues.
How To Delete TikTok Account
To delete your TikTok account, you first need to log into the account through the app or browser. Once logged in, tap or click on the profile icon in the bottom right and navigate to the account settings menu. There you will find a Delete Account option.
Follow these steps to delete your TikTok account:
- Open the TikTok app and log into your account
- Tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner
- Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu
- Tap “Manage account” and then “Delete account”
- Select “Delete account” again to confirm
You can also delete your account by logging into TikTok through a web browser like Chrome or Safari. After logging in, click on the profile icon and go to account settings. You will find the “Delete account” option there.
Once you confirm deletion, your account will be scheduled for deletion. TikTok will send an email to confirm the request. The account and all associated data will be permanently deleted after 30 days.
Confirm Account Deletion
After you submit your request to delete your TikTok account, you will get a reminder from TikTok informing you that all your information, including videos, messages, and effects, will be permanently removed and cannot be recovered once you confirm the deletion (Deleting an account | TikTok Help Center).
To complete the account deletion process, you will need to enter your account password when prompted to confirm that you want to delete your TikTok account. This is an important verification step to ensure you really intend to delete your account and its content.
Once you enter your password and complete the confirmation, your account will be scheduled for deletion. TikTok states it can take up to 30 days for the deletion process to be fully completed.
Account Deleted – What Happens Next
Once you confirm that you want to delete your TikTok account, the account will be scheduled for deletion immediately. However, it can take up to 30 days for all of your content to be permanently removed from TikTok’s servers.
During this 30 day grace period, your account will no longer be accessible. You will be logged out and unable to log back in. Your profile, videos, messages, comments, likes, and followers will not be viewable during this time.
Essentially, your account will be in a pending deleted state before it is wiped completely. TikTok needs this time to fully remove all traces of your account from their systems.
Rest assured that after the 30 day deletion period, your account will be permanently deleted. All content you posted, including videos, photos, messages, comments, likes, and followers, will be erased. Your username will become available to be claimed by another user as well.
So in summary, when you delete your TikTok account, it is instantly deactivated but remains recoverable for up to 30 days. After those 30 days, your account is permanently and irreversibly removed.
Retrieving Deleted TikTok Account
If you deleted your TikTok account recently, within the last 30 days, it is possible to retrieve and restore access to it. When an account is deleted, TikTok retains all of the data associated with it for 30 days before permanently deleting it. This gives users a grace period to reactivate their account if they change their mind.
To recover a recently deleted TikTok account, follow these steps:
- Re-download the TikTok app and open it.
- Tap “Log in” and enter your username and password. If you don’t remember your password, tap “Forgot password?” to reset it.
- You will be prompted to verify your account information. Enter your email, phone number or other details associated with the account.
- TikTok will send a verification code to authenticate you as the account owner. Enter this code.
- Once verified, you will be logged back into your restored TikTok account with all of your previous data and content.
This process must be completed within 30 days of deleting your account. After 30 days, deleted TikTok accounts and their data are removed from TikTok’s servers permanently and can no longer be recovered.
For more details on retrieving recently deleted accounts, visit the TikTok help page at https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-recover-tiktok-account
Permanently Deleting TikTok Account
If you wish to completely remove your TikTok account and all associated data from existence, you can request for permanent deletion. After deactivating your account, TikTok will keep it in a deactivated state for 30 days. During this time, you can still log back in and reactivate it if you change your mind.
However, after 30 days of inactivity, TikTok will permanently delete the account. According to TikTok’s support page, “Once an account has been permanently deleted, there is no way to retrieve any of the account or data.” (1)
When an account is permanently deleted, all associated content, videos, likes, comments, messages, profile information etc. will be completely removed from TikTok’s servers. Essentially, it will be like the account never existed in the first place. So this option is ideal for users who want to wipe their presence off of TikTok entirely.
It’s important to note that if you only deactivate your account instead of waiting for permanent deletion, your information still remains on TikTok’s servers. Deactivation just makes the account inaccessible to you and other users. Only permanent account deletion after 30 days of inactivity ensures complete data removal.
Deleting TikTok App Without Deleting Account
You can delete the TikTok app from your device without deleting your TikTok account. Removing the app does not affect your account or information associated with it. Your profile, videos, likes, followers, and other data will remain intact even if you delete the app.
Here are the steps to remove the TikTok app while keeping your account:
- On your iOS device, hold down the TikTok icon until it starts wiggling. Tap the X icon displayed on the top-left corner of the TikTok app icon.
- On your Android device, open the Settings app, go to Apps & Notifications and select TikTok. Tap Uninstall.
- You will be prompted to confirm deleting the app. Tap Delete or OK to remove the TikTok app.
Once the app is deleted, your account and data are still present on TikTok’s servers. You can always reinstall the app later and log back in to access your account again. Deleting the app simply removes it from your device while keeping your account intact.
Alternatives To Deleting Account
Deleting your TikTok account completely might be a bit drastic if you still want to enjoy the platform but want more control. There are a few alternatives to deleting your TikTok account that give you more privacy:
Make Your Account Private
Making your TikTok account private is an easy way to limit who can see your profile and videos. Only your approved followers will be able to view your content. To make your account private, go to your profile, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, choose Privacy and Safety, and toggle on “Private Account”.
Restrict Usage and Screen Time
You can limit your TikTok usage instead of deleting your account entirely. Set daily time limits in the app under Digital Wellbeing, or use your device’s built-in screen time controls to restrict TikTok. This helps fight addiction and motivate you to spend time on other things.
Delete Some Content
If certain old videos or posts are making you want to delete TikTok, try deleting just that content instead. You can mass delete posts from your profile. This removes content you may no longer want public while preserving your account.
Trying the above options can help you control your TikTok experience before resorting to deleting your account completely. Give more privacy, restrict usage, or remove some posts to see if that meets your needs before taking the nuclear option.
Conclusion
In summary, deleting your TikTok account is a relatively straightforward process. You simply need to go to your profile, click “Settings and Privacy,” choose “Manage Account,” and then select “Delete Account.” TikTok gives you 30 days to change your mind and reactivate your account before deletion becomes permanent.
If you don’t want to delete your account entirely, you can also consider restricting your TikTok usage instead. This includes options like setting daily screen time limits, turning off notifications, and enabling Restricted Mode. Just remember that fully deleting your account means you’ll lose access to all your content and followers after 30 days.
