Tim Mocan
Updated on: November 20, 2024
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Delete Your TikTok Account in 2024:
- Access your account settings. Just tap your profile icon, open the settings menu, and then head to Settings and privacy > Account.
- Delete your TikTok account. To do this, tap Deactivate or delete account, then select Delete account permanently.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll need to provide TikTok with a reason for deleting your account, back up your data (this is optional), and finally confirm and verify the account deletion request.
Deleting your TikTok account is pretty easy, although it gets a bit tricky if you can’t sign into your account (because you forgot your password or which email or phone number you used to sign up). I’ll show you how to easily delete your account on both mobile and desktop, and also how to do it if you forgot your login credentials.
But before you delete your account, you might want to back up your account data and videos. Once TikTok permanently deletes your account data, you won’t be able to use the account or recover it. I’ll also cover how to do that in this guide.
Pro Tip: If you decide against deleting your TikTok account, I recommend using a good VPN (like ExpressVPN) when you upload and watch videos on TikTok. A VPN will protect your TikTok traffic when you use unsecured Wi-Fi networks by encrypting your web data, making it 100% unreadable. And if you’re a parent and are worried about your kids spending too much time on TikTok, you don’t need to go as far as deleting their TikTok accounts. Instead, you can use a parental control app (like
Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
How to Delete Your TikTok Account
On Mobile (Android & iOS)
- Open the app and tap Profile. The button is located in the bottom right corner of the app screen.
- Tap the hamburger menu icon. You’ll find this icon in the top right corner of your profile screen.
- Now, select Settings and privacy. This option is located at the bottom of the menu.
- Select Account, then Deactivate or delete account. You’ll find the Deactivate or delete account option right at the bottom after you access Account.
- Tap Delete account permanently. You’ll find this setting at the bottom, right under Deactivate account.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll need to provide TikTok with a reason for deleting your account, and the app will also provide you with an option to back up your TikTok data. TikTok will also ask you to confirm the account deletion request via an SMS code, your account password, your email address, or the social media account you used to sign up.
On Desktop (Web Browser)
- Access Settings. To do this, hover over your profile icon in the top right, then select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Click Delete. It’s the red button right under the Manage account heading.
- Click Continue, then confirm the account deletion. TikTok will require you to confirm the account deletion process via an SMS code or your account password.
How to Delete Your TikTok Account If You Don’t Have Access to It
Without a Password
- Open the TikTok app and manually head to the login screen. To do this, first tap the Don’t have an account? Sign up button, followed by the Already have an account? Log in button.
- Tap Use phone / email / username. It’s the first option, right under Log in to TikTok.
- Tap the Forgot password? option. To do this, first access the Email / Username tab, type in your username, and hit Continue. Then, select the Forgot password? option right under the password field.
- Reset your password. Choose which method you want to use (via phone or email), verify your password reset request, and then change your password.
- Log into TikTok and delete your account. Just follow the steps I covered here to finish up the process on mobile.
Without an Email Address or a Phone Number
If you lose access to the phone number or email address you used to sign up for TikTok, you can use alternative methods. These include Google, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Apple, and Facebook. Keep in mind these methods vary depending on your device, and on whether or not you signed up for TikTok via certain methods or linked them to your TikTok account. In my case, I had the option to log in via Facebook, Google, and X.
Once you pick the login method, you’ll have to follow the on-screen instructions to access your account. Once you’re in, just follow these steps to delete your TikTok account.
If the method above isn’t an option, you’ll need to use this support form to contact TikTok. Under Topic, you should pick General account inquiry. And under Category, you should select Login issue. Also, you’ll need to clearly explain to TikTok how you lost access to your password and can’t log in. And keep in mind you might be asked to provide proof that you’re really the account holder.
What Happens When You Delete Your TikTok Account?
TikTok will first deactivate your account for 30 days, which means your account won’t be visible to the public. During those 30 days, you’ll be able to reactivate your TikTok account at any time by logging back into the app.
If you don’t reactivate your account within 30 days, TikTok will permanently delete it. This means you won’t be able to use that account anymore, and you’ll also lose access to all your videos. In addition, you’ll lose access to all information that isn’t stored on TikTok’s servers, like drafts for example. And you also won’t be able to get a refund for any items you bought or received. However, any direct messages you sent to people might remain visible to them, as that information isn’t stored in your TikTok account.
How to Back Up Your TikTok Account Before You Delete It
On Mobile
- Head to your profile page. Do this by tapping on the profile icon in the lower right corner.
- Open the settings menu. To do this, just tap on the hamburger icon in the top right corner.
- Select Settings and privacy. The option is at the bottom of the settings menu.
- Head to Account > Download your data. The Account option is at the top of the menu, and the Download your data option is near the bottom.
- Choose which data to download. You can download all data, or choose to only download profile data and posts, account activity (like comments, favorites, and browsing history), or direct messages. You can also pick which file format you want to download the data in: .txt or .json files. Then, request your data, wait for it to be approved, and download it — the download will be available for 4 days.
On Desktop
- Open the settings menu. To do this, just hover over your profile icon in the top right, then click Settings.
- Select Data. To find this option, just click on the Privacy tab on the left.
- Choose how you want to download the data. You can download all TikTok account data or just certain data. Also, you can choose what file format the data will be downloaded in (.txt or .json).
- Download the data once it’s ready. It might take a few minutes for TikTok to process your request. When it’s ready, you’ll have 4 days to download it — just do that by clicking the red Download button.
How to Back Up Your TikTok Videos Before You Delete Your Account
If you back up your TikTok account data, that won’t include all the videos you have uploaded to TikTok. It also won’t include favorite and liked videos. Luckily, you can manually download TikTok videos on both mobile and desktop — here’s how:
- On mobile. Tap the Share icon, which is located on the right. Then, tap the Save video option. This will download the video to your phone’s gallery.
- On desktop. Just right-click the video, then click Save video. If you need to download many videos, you could use a tool like TOKdownloads, which supports bulk downloads.
How to Deactivate Your TikTok Account
If you’re not 100% sure you want to permanently delete your TikTok account, you could try deactivating it. If you do this, you won’t have access to your account — but you’ll be able to recover it. Nobody will see your profile and content if you deactivate your account, but keep in mind that people will still see Duets or Stitches associated with your videos. Also, any direct messages you sent before deactivating your account will still be visible to the recipients.
Keep in mind you can only deactivate your TikTok account via the mobile app. Here’s how to do it:
- Tap Profile. The icon is located in the bottom right corner.
- Head to the settings menu. Open it by tapping the hamburger menu icon in the top right corner.
- Next, tap Settings and privacy. This option is located at the bottom of the settings menu.
- Tap Account. After that, select the Deactivate or delete account option.
- Next, tap Deactivate account. You’ll then need to confirm the deactivation process, and also verify it via an SMS code or account password.
If you’d like to reactivate your account, you just need to open the TikTok app and log into your account. When prompted, just tap Reactivate, and you’ll regain access to your TikTok account. Keep in mind it might take a few minutes to regain access to all account data, like favorite and liked videos.
Can You Recover a Deleted TikTok Account?
Yes, but only if you reactivate it within 30 days of requesting the account deletion. During that period, TikTok will retain your account data. However, after 30 days, it will permanently delete your data, so you won’t be able to recover the account.
If you’re not 100% sure you want to delete your account, try deactivating it instead — you’ll be able to recover it whenever you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my videos if I delete TikTok?
Yes, you won’t be able to access your uploaded, liked, or favorite videos after TikTok permanently deletes your account. That’s why I recommend backing up all of your videos before deleting your account — there are easy ways to do this both on mobile and desktop.
Can I delete TikTok without logging in?
Maybe — if you can’t log into your account at all, you might have to send TikTok a support request and ask them to delete your account. You’ll obviously need to prove that you’re the account holder.
Will uninstalling TikTok delete my account?
No — if you uninstall the app, your account will still remain on TikTok’s servers. You’ll just have to log back into your account when you reinstall the app. If you want to delete your TikTok account, you’ll need to follow these steps.
Will my TikTok account be instantly deleted?
No — TikTok will first deactivate your account for 30 days. During those 30 days, your account won’t be visible to anyone, and you’ll be able to reactivate the account at any time by simply logging back in. But once those 30 days pass, TikTok will permanently delete all of your account data, and you won’t be able to recover it.
