How to Delete Your Twitter Account


Twitter can be a useful tool for businesses, but there might be times when you want to delete your business Twitter account. For example, your business could be going through various scenarios where the Twitter account just isn’t needed, and it’s more useful to start over.

However, actually trying to delete your Twitter account is a bit harder than it might seem – but by no means impossible. Our guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to delete a business Twitter account.

Deactivating vs. Deleting Your Twitter Account

Before we get into the step-by-step details, we first need to establish whether you want to delete your Twitter altogether or deactivate your Twitter account. The main difference between the two is permanence. Deleting your business Twitter account is a permanent decision, and you cannot bring back your old tweets, followers, etc. Deactivating your business Twitter account simply means that it will not appear for users, but you can log back in and pick up right where you left off.

If your business has fundamentally changed in its services or products or no longer exists, then deleting your business Twitter account is the better decision. You can then start fresh and build back a more relevant following to what you are currently doing while using the latest Twitter hacks and tricks.

However, if your business still offers the same products or services but is going through internal changes or new branding, deactivating might be the better route. You can keep your followers and tweets this way and update your business Twitter account whenever you’re ready.

Please note that Twitter automatically deletes a deactivated Twitter account within 30 days of no activity. So if you would like to keep your account, make sure to log in to ensure your account is safe periodically.

How to Delete Your Twitter Account on Android or iPhone

You can delete your business Twitter account quickly and easily on Android or iPhone using the Twitter app. Here’s how:

iPhone and Android:

  1. Go to the navigation menu icon, then into ‘Settings and Privacy.’
  2. Next, tap ‘Account’ and select ‘Deactivate your account.’
  3. You’ll be asked to read some information on deactivating and then click deactivate
  4. Enter your password to confirm your deactivation
  5. Tap ‘yes’ when prompted as final confirmation for deactivation.

How to Delete Twitter Account on Desktop

If you would rather delete your business Twitter account on desktop, that is possible too, and it’s a similarly easy process. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Go to Twitter and click on the ‘More’ icon. From there, select Settings and Privacy in the drop-down menu
  2. Go to ‘Your Account’ and select ‘Deactivate your account.’
  3. Go through the account deactivation information and select ‘Deactivate.’
  4. When prompted, enter your password and select the ‘Deactivate Account’ button

Note: To delete a Twitter account, you must first deactivate it. After 30 days with no login activity, Twitter automatically deletes the account. That applies to desktop and mobile.

How to Delete the Twitter App and Make Sure Your Account is Permanently Deleted

So now that you have deactivated your account, what’s next? You’ll want to then delete the Twitter mobile app from your phone and desktop. You can also uninstall the Twitter app on your desktop if you have a Mac.

Once that’s done, you won’t need to do anything else. Your Twitter account will automatically be deleted after 30 days of inactivity.

How to Reactivate Your Twitter Account

If you would like to reactivate your Twitter account, you do have some options! If you log in before the 30 days are up, your account is restored. However, your account is permanently deleted if you do not log in within 30 days.

If you’d like to reactivate your Twitter business account, here is how to do it:

  1. Log in to Twitter from your desktop, or redownload the app on your iPhone or Android to log in
  2. Enter your user name and password
  3. Once you’ve entered your credentials, you’ll see a message asking you to confirm reactivation.
  4. Once you confirm reactivation, you’ll be taken to your Home timeline.

Does Twitter really delete your account?

Yes, the company will permanently delete your Twitter. However, your data will be kept in the Twitter archive for 30 days after deactivation in case you would like to reactivate your account. Twitter automatically deletes accounts from their system 30 days after the account is deactivated, and that cannot be reversed, so your data will be lost after that point.

What happens after you delete a Twitter account?

After you delete your Twitter account, you will not be able to access your data or the account itself. However, Twitter retains the license to your deactivated account content. This includes account visibility and the data in the archives, so your profile may continue to show in search engine results as Twitter cannot control what search engines index.

Can you save data before deleting a Twitter account?

Yes, you can save data before a Twitter account is deleted. To do so, click the ‘More’ button, and select the Settings and Privacy section. Next, navigate to ‘Your Account, where you will see an option to download an ‘archive of your data.’ Once that is selected, you will need to re-enter your password to confirm. You will then select the “Request Archive” button under “Twitter data.” You will then receive a download link to the email connected to the account.

How do you delete a Twitter account you can’t access?

You can delete a Twitter account even if you are unable to access it or log in. There are a few different options for gaining access to the account.

  1. You can reset the password for the account using either the email address associated or a mobile number. Once you gain access to the account, you can follow the steps to deactivate and delete.
  2. If you cannot access the email or mobile number associated with the account, you will need to contact the Twitter support team and provide verification details as requested to delete the account.

How do you permanently delete a Twitter account from Google?

Account deactivation on Twitter cannot delete a Twitter account from Google. The content will continue to show as Twitter cannot control search engine results during the deactivation process or after. To permanently delete your Twitter account from Google, you will have to submit a request on Google’s page to remove outdated content. You will have to provide specific Twitter URLs as they appear in Google’s search results for your request to be considered.

Image: Depositphotos


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Myra Nizami Myra Nizami is a staff writer for Small Business Trends and has been with the team for 3 years. She is also a freelance writer and researcher with a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master's from Kings College London.