How do I delete my Telegram account from inside the app?
If you still have the app installed and signed in, this is the simpler route:
- Open Telegram and tap Settings.
- Tap Privacy and Security.
- Scroll down to the bottom of that screen, where you'll find an "If Away For" auto-deletion setting followed by a Delete My Account option.
- Tap Delete My Account and confirm when the app asks you a second time.
There's no separate "deactivate" state to choose along the way — the only in-app option here is permanent deletion.
How do I delete my Telegram account without the app (my.telegram.org)?
If you've lost your phone, uninstalled the app, or otherwise can't get into Telegram itself, Telegram provides a browser-based deletion tool at my.telegram.org. This is Telegram's own official route and doesn't require the app to be installed anywhere.
- Go to my.telegram.org in any browser and choose the account-deletion option (or go directly to my.telegram.org/auth?to=delete-account).
- Enter the phone number that the account is registered to, in international format.
- Telegram sends a login confirmation code — to another device where you're still signed in if one exists, or by SMS/phone call if not.
- Enter the code to sign in, then confirm you want to delete the account. Telegram may ask for an optional reason; this step is not required to proceed.
This is the method to use specifically when you no longer have the app itself but still control the phone number, or can still receive the confirmation code some other way.
What happens to my groups, channels and chats when I delete my account?
Per Telegram's FAQ, deleting your account removes your personal data from Telegram's system, but it does not reach into other people's copies of your past conversations — contacts who received your messages keep their own copy of that chat history.
Groups and channels you created are not deleted along with you. They keep running without an owner attached to your account, and any other admins you'd already appointed keep their existing permissions. If you specifically want a group or channel gone, or want ownership transferred to someone else, do that before you delete the account — not after, since there's no way to reach back in once it's gone.
Can this be undone?
No. Telegram treats account deletion as final. There's no recovery window and no way to restore the account, its chat history, contacts or media afterward. If you register again later with the same phone number, Telegram creates a brand-new, empty account — it does not restore anything from the deleted one.
If you're unsure, consider whether what you actually want is to log out of a specific device, mute notifications, or leave individual groups instead of deleting the whole account. Those are reversible; account deletion is not.
People also ask
Can I deactivate my Telegram account temporarily instead of deleting it?
No. Telegram does not offer a temporary deactivation state. The in-app option is labelled Delete My Account, and once it is confirmed, the account and its data are removed rather than paused.
What happens to my Telegram groups and channels when I delete my account?
Groups and channels you created are not deleted along with your account. They keep existing without an owner, and other admins keep their existing permissions. If you want a group or channel deleted or handed to someone else, do that before you delete your account, not after.
How do I delete my Telegram account if I no longer have the app or my old phone?
Use the web-based method at my.telegram.org. Enter the phone number tied to the account, request a login code (sent to any device still signed in, or by SMS/call if none is), enter that code, and confirm account deletion. This does not require the Telegram app itself.
Can I recover a Telegram account after deleting it?
No. Telegram treats account deletion as permanent and irreversible. If you sign up again later using the same phone number, it creates a new, empty account — none of your old chats, contacts or media come back.