Are you done with Twitter? Here's how to permanently delete your Twitter account

Is it time to quit Twitter?

Sure, the social media platform is an outlet where you can stay on top of breaking news or current events and cultural conversations.

But there's also "doomscrolling"—you know, when you wade through a feed filled with bad news and keep scrolling anyway. It was especially tough to avoid last year as many Americans remained at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, like Facebook and Instagram, it's run into its fair share of troubles, with all the beefs, bullying and the rise of misinformation.

If you find yourself ready to ditch tweeting once and for all, here's what you can do to permanently delete your account.

You have to deactivate Twitter first

While Twitter allows you to deactivate your account just like Facebook and Instagram, it works a little differently. In order to delete your Twitter account, you have to deactivate it first.

To do this, go to More on the left side of the screen, then Settings and Privacy. Under "Your Account," you'll see the option to deactivate your account.

You can choose to reactivate your account after 30 days or after 12 months. If you don't pick an option to reactivate, your account will automatically delete after 30 days.

When deactivated, your user name and profile will not appear on Twitter's website or mobile apps. If you notice your account gets reactivated without you using the app, it might be due to third-party apps you've given permission to connect to your Twitter account. Make sure to revoke third-party access.

What happens when you delete Twitter?

If you don't access your account for 30 days after deactivate it, it will be permanently deleted. That means you can't reactivate it after the 30-day window, and all your old tweets are gone.

However, your information might still appear on search engines like Google and Bing. You have to follow up with the appropriate search engine to have that data removed.

Also, if you still want to hang on to those old tweets, Twitter allows users to download their archive.