How to Permanently Delete Twitter. The 5 Steps You'll Need to Take

Twitter has undergone an array of changes over the last year since its new owner, Elon Musk, took over -- including changing the meaning of the blue check mark (it no longer means a user is verified). The latest replaced the infamous blue bird logo, which has been around since 2010, with an X. 

With Twitter starting to not look like itself anymore, you may be interested in deleting your account. We'll explain what your options are below, including whether you can change your mind about deactivating your account. For more, here's how to untag yourself from any Twitter conversation.

How to delete your Twitter account on your phone

Here's how to delete your Twitter account from your phone. Note that before you close your account, you may want to create an archive of your tweets. And if you're interested, we also know how to download all your tweets.

1. Sign in to your Twitter account and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner.

2. In the side menu, scroll down and tap Settings and Support, then select Settings and privacy.

3. Select Your account > Deactivate your account.

4. Tap Deactivate.

5. You'll be prompted to enter your password and tap Deactivate to confirm.

If you change your mind, you can restore your account for up to 30 days after you deactivate it. More on that below.

How to delete your Twitter account on your computer

If you're using Twitter on your computer's web browser, here's how to delete your account. Again, before you close it down, think about creating an archive of your tweets.

1. Sign in to your Twitter account.

2. On the left menu, select More > Settings and privacy.

3. Under the Your Account section, click Deactivate your account.

4. Click Deactivate.

5. You'll then be prompted to enter your password, and then you'll confirm you want to proceed by clicking Deactivate account.

If you change your mind, see below for how to undo your account deactivation. If not, your account will be deleted.

Unlink any third-party apps from your account

While you may have clicked the button to deactivate your account, Twitter notes that third-party apps can reactivate your account when you sign in to them. To prevent this from happening, you'll need to revoke third-party app access to your Twitter account, such as those that can automatically delete old tweets.

To get started, sign in to your Twitter account and go to Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Apps and sessions > Connected apps. You'll then select each app one at a time and click Revoke app permissions.

How to reactivate your Twitter account

If you change your mind, you can always reactivate your account for up to 30 days or 12 months, depending on the selection you made. Here's what to do.

1. Log in to your account.

2. You'll see a notice asking if you'd like to reactivate your account. If you select yes, you'll be redirected to your Twitter Home timeline. Note that it could take a while for your Tweets and followers to be restored.

For more, here's how to change the privacy settings on Twitter, how to delete old tweets, and why people are leaving Netflix and how to cancel your subscription.