Twitter, a popular social media platform, faces numerous security concerns. From account hacking to privacy breaches, users are increasingly worried about their safety online. This simple guide discusses the privacy issues related to the platform and how you can delete your Twitter account on various devices.
Twitter, now known as X, has both its positive and negative sides. While it is a great platform to connect with people and share information, many people have raised concerns about the platform. Roughly 6,000 tweets go out every second, making some users feel overwhelmed.
Some claim that the platform promotes abusive comments, hate speech, cyberbullying, etc. For all these reasons, the idea of leaving Twitter has become appealing.
However, not everyone knows what steps to take to quit Twitter. Well, the process is simple. The first step to leave this app is to deactivate your X account. After this, if you don’t access your account within 30 days, Twitter will permanently delete it from its database. In this detailed guide, we’ve outlined all the steps to deleting your Twitter account for good.
What Happens After I Deactivate My Account?
Once you deactivate your Twitter account, people can claim your username, and you won’t be able to reactivate it or see your old tweets. Twitter deletes your account and stops associating your username with their platform if you do not use it within 30 days of the deactivation.
If you change your mind, you can reactivate your account within this period by simply signing in and verifying reactivation. However, your login details and email address will still be linked to your account, and you won’t be able to use them on another until after 30 days.
How Do I Save My Data Before I Delete My Account?
Some users want to stop using Twitter permanently, but they don’t want their data to be lost. A decent solution would be to save their data before deleting their account. Thankfully, downloading all of your data, including conversations, media, and tweets, is easy with Twitter.
Here are steps to save your data from Twitter:
- Navigate to the menu icon with three dots and choose Settings and Privacy.
- Click on Your Twitter data under Data and Permissions.
- Enter your password and confirm it.
- Next, click the Request Archive button next to Twitter. You can also access your Periscope account (assuming you have one) by requesting Periscope data.
- When your data is ready, you will get a Twitter notification and an email with a link. A Download archive button should now be available when you navigate to Your Twitter data, which you can click to download your data.
Now that you understand the process of deleting your account on Twitter, let’s dive into the specific steps to follow on various devices.
How to Delete Twitter on Your Android Device
The steps below will guide you on how to delete your Twitter account on your Android device:
- Click on the profile photo or menu icon in the top-left corner and choose “Settings and Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- Click on the tab labeled “Your Account.”
- Scroll down, locate the “Deactivate Account” tab, and click on it.
- After reading the given information, scroll down and select “Deactivate.”
- To complete the whole process, you will need to verify your password.
- Once you confirm that you wish to deactivate your account, Twitter will approve your decision.
How to Delete Twitter on Your iOS Device
- Open Twitter and click on your profile picture in the top-left corner.
- Tap on “Settings and Privacy.”
- Select “Your account.”
- Tap on “Deactivate your account” after scrolling to the bottom.
- It will lead you to a page detailing what happens when you deactivate your account. After going through it carefully, select “Deactivate.”
- You will see a new window requiring you to input your Twitter password and select “Deactivate” to delete your account.
How to Delete Your Twitter Account on Your Desktop
- Open Twitter and sign into your account.
- Click on the “More” button on the left of the screen.
- Tap on “Settings and Privacy.”
- Navigate to the “Your account” section and select “Deactivate your account.”
- Next, click “Deactivate,” input your password, and select “Deactivate” again to delete your Twitter account.
Why Do People Leave Twitter?
People stop using Twitter for various reasons, which are often influenced by their experiences and personal preferences. Some reasons why someone may decide to delete their Twitter account include:
- Excess information on the platform, which becomes overwhelming and hard to filter through.
- Negative interactions like bullying and harassment that negatively impact people’s mental health.
- Twitter’s data regulations, which could make some users feel uncomfortable sharing so much personal information because they feel that their privacy is being violated.
- Addiction to the platform, which could eat up a person’s time.
- Discovering a substitute app for getting information and communicating.
Privacy Issues on Twitter
The following privacy issues have raised concerns on Twitter:
- Failure to curb online harassment: Twitter made an effort to tackle online harassment by removing egg avatars, but even if harassers are blocked, reported, or have their tweets filtered, their offensive remarks will still show up on other user’s feeds.
- Data breaches and leaks: It is no news that Twitter has previously been the target of cyberattacks. As a result, there are chances that your login details could be compromised.
- Twitter’s data policy: This platform records everything you use, including likes, links, and widgets, in addition to your location and basic user data. It can even access your contact list. Twitter’s privacy policy details the data it collects and its recipients.
Security Tips for Using Twitter Effectively
If you use Twitter safely and interact with reputable accounts, it may be a valuable information resource. Here are some pointers for using Twitter safely:
- Never click on strange links or attachments you receive from someone you don’t trust.
- Do not divulge private, sensitive, or secret information to strangers or the public.
- If you are harassed, block and report the harasser right away.
- Adjust your social media privacy settings if you enjoy using Twitter but don’t want it to gather as much personal information as it does.
- Create strong passwords and update them frequently.
More Ways to Protect Your Privacy
Here are other trusted ways to protect your privacy on Twitter and other social media platforms:
- Use a reliable VPN: A Virtual Private Network *enhances your privacy by spoofing your location to prevent third parties from monitoring or tracking your online activities. Consequently, you are guaranteed privacy and security using a reliable VPN like ExtremeVPN.
- Go through the privacy policy: Make sure to read the social network’s privacy policy, change your settings appropriately, and know how your information is collected and used.
- Modify your privacy settings: Configure the privacy settings of your app to manage the sharing and privacy of your data.
- Be careful about what you share: Data shared on social networking platforms is accessible to the public, so keep that in mind.
Things to Consider Before Deleting Your Twitter Account
Regardless of why you want to quit Twitter, there are things to note before moving forward. Including:
- Your data won’t be searchable on Twitter when your account is deactivated. However, your old posts may continue to appear in search results from Google, Yahoo, or Bing because Twitter has no control over the content of these search engines.
- Changing your email address and username before deactivating your Twitter account is a good idea. This process will allow you to use the same email address and username if you ever choose to open another account.
- If you do not want to let go of your data on Twitter, you can download your data archive. However, note that it will only provide you with some information. You will not get any direct messages, lists, favorite tweets, or pictures.
- Your account cannot be deleted instantly. If you decide to change your mind, you will have 30 days to reactivate your Twitter account once it has been deactivated. There will be no way to access your account after this grace period.
Even if you do not intend to delete your Twitter account, there is no harm in enhancing your privacy. For an extra layer of protection, use a reliable VPN service. ExtremeVPN plays a significant role in protecting your privacy. With our fast-speed servers, you are so far from cyber threats, contributing to a more secure and private Twitter experience.
FAQs
