Deleting the Telegram app does not deactivate your account. Telegram gives regular users two real account-level options: delete the account permanently now, or set it to delete itself after a period of inactivity. Start with the web deletion page if you want the account gone right away, or use the inactivity setting if you want delayed removal.
Delete your Telegram account right away
This fixes the Telegram account itself, not just Telegram on one device.
Open my.telegram.org/auth?to=delete in a browser, preferably on a non-mobile browser.
Enter your phone number in international format in Your Phone Number.
Select Next.
Open Telegram on a logged-in device and copy the confirmation code Telegram sends inside the app.
Enter the code in Confirmation code.
Select Sign In.
Choose Delete Account.
Confirm the delete-account prompts. Telegram says deletion must be confirmed through your Telegram account and cannot be undone.
Fix a missing confirmation code
The most common cause is expecting a text message, because Telegram sends the confirmation code through Telegram, not SMS.
Keep an active Telegram session open on one of your devices before you start.
After you enter your number on the My Telegram page, check Telegram itself for the code.
Use the same phone number tied to the account, written in international format.
When the in-app code arrives, return to the browser and enter it in Confirmation code.
Select Sign In and continue to Delete Account.
Set Telegram to delete itself after inactivity
Use this when you want Telegram to remove the account later after you stop using it.
- 1.Open Telegram Settings.
- 2.Go to Privacy and Security or Privacy & Security.
- 3.Find the account deletion or self-destruction setting.
- 4.Choose the inactivity period available in your app.
- 5.Stop coming online in Telegram until that period expires.
Telegram’s current default is at least 18 months of inactivity, and the exact period can be changed in Settings. The available labels vary by client build and locale.
Log out after setting inactivity deletion
Logging out helps you stay offline long enough for the self-destruction timer to run. It does not delete the account by itself.
On iPhone, open Settings, select Edit, then choose Log out.
On Android or Telegram Desktop, open Settings, select the ... menu in the top-right corner, then choose Log out.
After logging out, do not sign back in before the selected inactivity period expires. If this method fails because the account comes back online, use my.telegram.org/auth?to=delete for immediate permanent deletion.
Remove the app without deleting the account
This fixes access on that device, but it does not deactivate your Telegram account.
First set the Telegram account self-destruction period in Settings if your goal is eventual account deletion.
Remove Telegram from your phone, tablet, or computer using the operating system’s normal uninstall or delete-app controls.
Stay signed out on every device and do not log back in before the inactivity period expires. Telegram deletes an inactive account only if you do not come online at all, and you can stay logged in on as many devices as you like at the same time, so signing out or uninstalling on one device is not enough. Terminate the account’s other sessions in Settings and Devices, or Privacy & Security and Active Sessions, before the inactivity period starts.
Remember that removing the app alone does not delete the account, chats, contacts, or cloud data.
Regain access after a lost or stolen phone
If your phone was lost or stolen and you do not have another logged-in Telegram device, regain access to the phone number first.
Contact your phone provider, block the old SIM, and get a new SIM with the same number. Then log in to Telegram with that number.
Once you are back in, open Settings and go to Devices, or open Privacy & Security and go to Active Sessions. Terminate the stolen device’s session, or open the Telegram deactivation page if you want to delete the account entirely.
Cancel Premium billing in the right place
The most common billing mistake is assuming every Telegram Premium charge stops in the same place.
Telegram says deleting the account terminates recurring payments made through @PremiumBot.
If your subscription runs through the App Store or Google Play, cancel it through your Apple or Google account settings.
Account deletion and app removal are separate from store-managed subscriptions.
Skip old app-only and support shortcuts
Older app-only instructions describe immediate deletion through Settings, Privacy and Security, and Delete My Account. That menu still exists in current Telegram builds, but the control under it sets how long the account can be away before it deletes itself, so it schedules inactivity-based deletion rather than deleting the account on the spot. Telegram’s current consumer path for immediate deletion is the deactivation page.
Support is not the normal self-service deletion route. Telegram’s deletion flow uses the My Telegram portal, an in-app confirmation code, and final delete-account confirmation prompts.
When an app-only menu path or support request fails, use my.telegram.org/auth?to=delete for immediate deletion or Settings and Privacy & Security for delayed deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I temporarily deactivate Telegram?
No. Telegram does not offer a temporary deactivation mode for regular consumer accounts. You can permanently delete the account now or set it to delete automatically after inactivity.
Does uninstalling Telegram delete my account?
No. Uninstalling only removes the app from that device. Your account, chats, contacts, and cloud data remain unless you delete the account or stay inactive until the self-destruction period expires.
Can I delete Telegram if I no longer have my phone?
You need access to the phone number or another logged-in Telegram session. If the phone was stolen, block the old SIM, get a new SIM with the same number, log in, then delete the account or remove the stolen session.
Will deleting Telegram cancel Premium?
Deleting the account terminates recurring payments made through @PremiumBot. App Store or Google Play subscriptions must be canceled through Apple or Google account settings.