Why You Might Want To Delete An Old TikTok Account
There are several common reasons why you may want to delete an old TikTok account:
The account is no longer in use – If you have an old TikTok account that you no longer use or post to, you may want to delete it for privacy reasons or to clear up unused accounts.
You want a fresh start – If your old TikTok account contains content or a username that you no longer wish to be associated with, deleting it can give you a clean slate to start fresh with new content and a new account.
Concerns over old content – Your views, tastes and content preferences change over time. Old videos or posts on the account may no longer represent your values or personality. Deleting the old account removes outdated or embarrassing content.
You’ve forgotten the login info – If you can no longer access the account because you forgot the password or email, deleting it can be a way to formally close the account you can no longer use. According to Zapier, forgotten logins are a common reason people choose to delete old social media accounts.
Confirm The Account is Yours
The first step to deleting an old TikTok account without knowing the password is to confirm that you are the rightful owner of the account. TikTok allows you to verify account ownership using either the email address or phone number associated with the account.
To verify with an email address, go to the TikTok login page and click “Forgot password?”. Enter the email address linked to the account and TikTok will send a 6-digit verification code. Input this code to confirm you have access to the email on file and can reset the password.
Alternatively, you can have TikTok send an SMS verification code if you have the phone number for the account. Request the SMS code, enter it when prompted, and TikTok will confirm you are the account owner.
Once email or SMS verification is complete, TikTok will allow you to create a new password and access the account. Now you can proceed to deleting any unwanted content before submitting a request to delete the TikTok account entirely. Having confirmation that you own the account is crucial for being able to fully delete it.
Reset The Password
One of the first steps to deleting your old TikTok account without knowing the password is to reset the password. Here are the steps to reset your TikTok password using the ‘Forgot password’ option:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap ‘Log In’ on the bottom.
2. On the login screen, tap ‘Forgot password?’ below the password field.
3. You will be prompted to enter either the email address or phone number associated with your account. Enter the email/phone number and tap ‘Next’.
4. Follow the instructions to reset your password. This may involve entering a verification code sent to your email or phone. Once you enter the code, you’ll be able to set a new password for your account.
For more details, refer to TikTok’s help article on resetting your password: Forgot my password
Login and Delete Content
Once you have reset the password, you can login to your old TikTok account using the new password. This will give you access to all of the content previously posted to the account.
At this point, you should go through and delete or make private any videos, captions, comments, liked videos etc. that you no longer want associated with the account. To delete a video, tap on it to open it fully, then tap the three dots in the bottom right corner and select “Delete”. You can also tap on the “Privacy settings” option to bulk set videos to private or delete them.
Deleting or making private unwanted content will dissociate it from the account before you delete the account entirely. According to TikTok’s support site, “Once you permanently delete your account, all your videos will also be permanently deleted.” However, deleting just unwanted content first gives you a chance to save anything you might want to keep.
Source: https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/editing-posting-and-deleting
Download Your Data
Before deleting your TikTok account, it’s a good idea to download a copy of your data for your records. Here’s how to use the ‘Download your data’ option in TikTok’s settings:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Go to Settings and Privacy > Data and History > Download Your Data.
3. Tap “Download data” at the top of the screen. TikTok will prepare an archive of your data to download.
4. Once ready, you’ll get a notification saying your data is ready to download. Go back to Settings > Data and History > Download Your Data and tap “Download” to save the file to your device.
The download can take a few minutes. The file will contain your profile info, videos, messages, login history, and other TikTok data. Be sure to save this to your computer or external device before deleting your account.
Delete The Account
Once you have logged in to your old TikTok account that you want to delete, the next step is to actually delete it. According to TikTok’s support site, here are the steps to permanently delete your TikTok account:
1. Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap on the menu icon in the top right corner (it looks like three horizontal lines).
3. Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
4. Tap on “Account” and then “Delete account”.
5. Confirm that you want to permanently delete your account.
TikTok will then begin the account deletion process. It can take up to 30 days for your account to be completely removed from their systems.
Submit Deletion Request
If you are unable to delete your TikTok account through the app, you can submit a request to have the account deleted by TikTok. This is useful if you no longer have access to the account but want it removed.
To submit an account deletion request, go to https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/feedback and select “Delete My Account”. You will need to provide information to verify that you own the account.
This includes:
- The username of the account you want to delete
- The email address or phone number associated with the account
- An explanation for why you want to delete the account
After submitting the request form, TikTok will review the request and delete the account if ownership can be verified. This process may take some time. You will receive a confirmation email at the address provided once the account has been removed.
Wait For Account Removal
After submitting your account deletion request, you will need to wait for TikTok to fully remove your account. This process can take up to 30 days before the account is permanently deleted according to CCleaner.
During this waiting period, your account will remain deactivated. You will not be able to access or use it. TikTok states that your account is scheduled for permanent deletion after 30 days from the deactivation date.
Once 30 days have passed, your TikTok account will be completely and irreversibly removed from TikTok’s systems. All your videos, likes, comments, and other data associated with the account will be deleted. There is no way to recover a deleted TikTok account.
The main thing is to be patient during the waiting period. You cannot speed up the account deletion process. Just know that after 30 days, your old TikTok account will be gone for good.
Create a New Account
After deleting your old TikTok account, you may decide to start fresh with a brand new account. When creating a new TikTok account, it’s important to use a new email address and phone number that weren’t associated with your previous account. TikTok ties accounts to email addresses and phone numbers, so using the same ones may link the new account back to the old one. Choose a fresh email and phone number to ensure a clean slate.
You’ll also want to avoid repeating your old username when making a new account. Usernames must be unique on TikTok, so trying to reuse your old handle will result in an error. Brainstorm a new creative username that doesn’t resemble your previous one. This will help distinguish your new account from the old one.
Starting fresh with a new email, phone number, and username allows you to separate your new TikTok account from any memories or experiences tied to your old one. You can craft a new persona and online identity without baggage from the past. Use the opportunity to reinvent yourself and find a new sense of creativity and fun on TikTok.
Lessons Learned
When deciding whether to delete an old TikTok account, there are some key lessons to keep in mind for the future:
First, be sure to always log out of old accounts you no longer use. This will prevent unauthorized access if you forget the password. It’s a best practice for social media to log out of accounts on shared devices as well.
Second, make it a habit to delete unused accounts periodically. Forgetting about old accounts increases your risk of a security breach. Routinely removing accounts you don’t need anymore can improve your online privacy and security.
Finally, be sure to store login info securely. Use a password manager or write down passwords in a safe place. Not recording your login credentials makes it nearly impossible to regain access if you forget them later.
