To permanently delete your iCloud account, sign in to Apple’s privacy website, select Request to delete your account, and complete the prompts to delete the Apple Account behind it. Before submitting the request, export the data you want to keep and sign out of your devices. Apple verifies your request before permanently deleting the account and its associated data.
Choose permanent deletion only when you want to close the account itself. Signing out, canceling iCloud+, or removing an account from Mail changes a specific service or device without deleting your Apple Account.
The short version
- Permanent deletion: Use Apple’s privacy website and choose Request to delete your account.
- Prepare first: Export your data somewhere you can access without the account and sign out of your devices.
- Keep the code: Save Apple’s unique alphanumeric access code so you can request cancellation while deletion is pending.
- Choose carefully: Completed deletion is irreversible, while temporary deactivation preserves your account and data.
| Your goal | What to use | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Permanently delete your iCloud account | Apple Account deletion | Your account and associated data are permanently deleted, apart from records Apple is required to retain, such as past transactions |
| Take a temporary break | Apple Account deactivation | Access is suspended while your account and data are retained |
| Stop using the account on a device | Device sign out | Your cloud account remains available |
| Stop paying for storage | iCloud+ cancellation | Paid service is canceled and your account is retained |
| Stop an individual feature | iCloud syncing settings | The selected feature stops on that device |
| Remove your account from Mail | Mail account settings | Local mail access changes without closing your account |
| Unlink a device you gave away | Find Devices erasure and removal | Device contents are erased and Activation Lock is removed |
Save your data before deleting the account
Export the data you want to keep to a location you can access without signing in to the Apple Account you plan to delete. Finish this before requesting deletion, because the process permanently removes the account and its associated data. A copy that still depends on that account will not give you independent access afterward.
Sign out of your devices before proceeding, too. Apple warns that deleting your account can prevent you from signing out later or removing Activation Lock. Complete those tasks while you still have access to the account.
If you organize a Family Sharing group, handle child accounts before deleting your own account. Deleting the organizer’s account also includes child accounts unless those accounts are transferred first. Transfer any child accounts you want to preserve before submitting your deletion request.
Sign out of your devices
On an iPhone running iOS 26 or later, open Settings, select your name, then tap Sign Out. Choose Sign Out But Don't Erase to sign out without erasing the device, and authenticate with the requested device passcode or Apple Account password. Select Confirm and Sign Out to finish.
The same current sign out workflow applies to iPad and Apple Vision Pro. When you intend to erase the device instead, choose Erase this [Device] after selecting Sign Out, then authenticate. Select Sign Out and confirm with Sign Out again.
On a Mac, open System Settings, select your name, then choose Sign Out. Complete the prompts about keeping copies and downloading iCloud data. On a Windows PC, open iCloud for Windows, choose Sign Out, then finish the prompts.
For a device you have already sold or given away, sign in to Apple’s Find Devices website and select the device. Choose Erase This Device, complete the prompts, and wait for erasure to finish before selecting Remove This Device. An offline device must reconnect before erasure can complete, so finish this process before deleting the account.
Clear restrictions that block signing out
If your sign out button is disabled by Screen Time, open Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode > Turn Off Screen Time Passcode, then authenticate. Return to your account settings and retry signing out. A parent or guardian must authorize changes on a child’s managed device.
For a grayed out account, open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. When All Restrictions is enabled, open Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes to Settings > Accounts and choose Allow. Retry the normal sign out process after allowing account changes.
Request permanent deletion through Apple
Once you have saved your data and signed out of your devices, open Apple’s privacy website in a browser. Sign in to the Apple Account you want to delete, select Request to delete your account, and complete the deletion prompts. Check that you are signed in to the intended account before submitting the request.
You can use this browser process on a Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro. No iCloud for Windows download is required. The request deletes the Apple Account that provides your iCloud access, including its associated data.
Save the unique alphanumeric access code Apple supplies during the process. Keep it somewhere you can access independently of the account being deleted. You need that code if you decide to ask Apple to cancel the pending request.
Cancel a pending deletion if you change your mind
Apple verifies your request before permanently deleting the account and associated data. Submitting the request does not mean deletion has already finished. Keep your access code until the request is resolved.
To stop a pending deletion, contact Apple Support and provide the access code. Request cancellation as soon as you change your mind, while the deletion is still pending. Once deletion is complete, it is irreversible.
Deactivate the account for a temporary break
Temporary deactivation retains your account and data while suspending access. If you have an active AppleCare One plan, cancel it before requesting deactivation. Sign in to Apple’s privacy website, select Request to deactivate your account, and complete the prompts. Retain the access code supplied for that request.
To reactivate later, contact Apple Support and provide the deactivation access code. Deactivation is offered only in supported countries and regions. If Request to deactivate your account is absent, Apple says deactivation is unavailable in your country or region.
Cancel paid storage or stop syncing instead
To stop paying for iCloud+ on an iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 18.4 or later, open Settings, select your name, then open Subscriptions. Select iCloud+ under Active and choose Cancel Subscription. This cancels the paid service while retaining your Apple Account.
On a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Apple Account > iCloud. Under iCloud+ Features, choose Manage Plan, then Cancel Subscription.
On Windows, open iCloud for Windows and use Manage > Change Storage Plan > Downgrade Options. Authenticate, select Manage, choose the free 5GB plan, and select Done.
Without an Apple device, sign in to Apple’s billing request website. Open I'd like to > Request a refund, choose the cancellation or refund reason, and select Next. Select the latest iCloud+ charge or the iCloud subscription at the top, then choose Submit.
To stop an individual iCloud feature on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, open Settings, select your name, then open iCloud. Beside Saved to iCloud, select See All, choose the app or feature, and disable its syncing or use on the device.
On a Mac, open the Apple menu > System Settings, select your name, then open iCloud. Choose the feature under Saved to iCloud, using See All if needed, and disable its use or syncing. These changes stop the selected feature on that device while preserving your account.
Remove local access without deleting the account
Removing iCloud from Mail does not permanently delete your Apple Account. On an iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts, select the iCloud account, and turn off Use on this iPhone to disable mail. A Mail account removal control labeled Delete Account does not close the provider account.
Erasing an iPhone or iPad also does not delete content from iCloud. Uninstalling iCloud for Windows removes the application, and removing a device from your account changes that device’s access. Device association can return through continued sign in, so complete the device’s sign out or erasure when you need to remove it permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you delete a child’s iCloud account?
Sign in to the child’s account on Apple’s privacy website and select Request to delete your account. The family organizer receives an approval email and completes the deletion process through that request. Wait for deletion to finish before disbanding the family group or deleting the organizer’s account.
Can you request deletion of a deceased person’s Apple Account?
Yes, you can use Apple’s separate Digital Legacy deletion process for a deceased account holder. Open Apple’s support page for a deceased family member’s account and follow the link under If you want to permanently delete an Apple Account. Provide your own Apple Account, identify the deceased person’s account, and submit the legal documentation required for your country or region.
Does signing out of an iPhone also sign out its Apple Watch?
Yes, Apple says signing out of your paired iPhone automatically signs out its paired Apple Watch. If your watch was configured for a family member, use its separate unpairing workflow.
Can you sign out of every iCloud browser session at once?
Yes, on iCloud.com, select your Apple Account photo or the Account button, then open iCloud Settings. Choose Sign Out Of All Browsers and confirm with Sign Out. This ends your browser sessions without deleting your account or its data.
Can Siri or a recovery mode shortcut delete your iCloud account?
No, Apple’s account deletion instructions don’t include a Siri, Apple Intelligence, Shortcuts, hardware key, or recovery mode option. To permanently delete your account, use the deletion process on Apple’s privacy website.
Does deleting your account remove someone else’s Activation Lock?
No, deleting your own account does not remove a previous owner’s Activation Lock. You can submit an Activation Lock support request to Apple for an eligible device with proof of purchase. If Apple approves the request, it removes the device lock without deleting the previous owner’s Apple Account.