How to Delete Your Telegram Account, Step by Step

To delete your Telegram account, open telegram.org/deactivate in a browser, enter your number with its country code, type the code you receive inside Telegram and confirm. It is permanent: your messages and contacts are erased and, under Telegram's terms, you lose any Stars you have left. Uninstalling the app does not delete the account.

Deleting a Telegram account: key facts, as of November 5, 2026

How do I delete my Telegram account right now?

Use the deactivation page. Telegram recommends a browser on a computer:

1. Open telegram.org/deactivate.
2. Enter your phone number in international format, with the country code.
3. Find the code in your Telegram app, because it doesn't come by SMS, and type it on the page.
4. Confirm the deletion. There is no going back after this.

How do I set automatic deletion?

Telegram deletes an account after at least 18 months offline, and you can change that period. You'll find it in Settings, under Privacy and Security. It helps if you want the account to disappear by itself. Menu names can differ between app versions.

What gets erased when you delete your account?

• Your messages and contacts. Telegram says they are permanently removed.
• Your data in the cloud. Deletion for inactivity covers messages, media and contacts.
• The creator of your groups and channels. They are left without one, and admins keep their rights.

What stays: your contacts keep their copies of the messages you sent them. If you sign up again with the same number, you appear as a new user, with no history, contacts or groups.

What happens to my Stars and gifts?

You lose the Stars. Telegram's terms say the remaining balance is forfeited if you delete your account, and that sales of Stars are final, so there is no refund. Use them first: send a friend a gift or spend them in a mini app. If you earned them through a bot or channel, read how to sell Telegram Stars.

For gifts, NFT gifts and usernames bought on Fragment, we found no Telegram page that says what happens when you delete your account. If they matter to you, move them to another account or your wallet first.

How do I save my chats before I leave?

Use Telegram Desktop. In Settings, choose the data export to download your chats and files, or open a chat's "…" menu to export just that one. The data is saved as JSON or HTML. Do it before you delete the account, because Telegram won't give it back afterwards.

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FAQ

Does uninstalling Telegram delete my account?

No. The account stays until you delete it at telegram.org/deactivate, or until you've been offline for at least 18 months or the period you chose.

Why doesn't the code come by SMS?

Because Telegram sends it inside the app, not by SMS. You need to be logged in on at least one device.

Can I recover a deleted Telegram account?

No. Telegram says deletion can't be undone. If you sign up again, you appear as a new user with no history.

Will my contacts know I deleted my account?

Telegram describes no notice at the moment of deletion. It does say that if you sign up again, people who have your number are notified.

Related guides

• Telegram secret chats explained
• How to delete Telegram mini apps
• The complete guide to Telegram Stars