How to Delete a TikTok Account 6 Simple steps

TikTok may have created a worldwide short-form video phenomenon that surpassed Vine. But like all other social media platforms, there comes a time when we either say goodbye or overhaul our accounts for something else.

Either way, an essential step in starting over after your TikTok experience is learning how to delete a TikTok account.

The steps are pretty simple, and in this article, we will clarify the steps to make the process straightforward enough for everyone.

How To delete a TikTok account

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Image Credit by HS You via Flickr

To delete an active TikTok account, you first need to launch the TikTok mobile app and go to the main page. Next, make sure that the account you plan to delete is the one currently active in the app. Otherwise, tap the top center menu, and select the account you wish to delete.

Then follow these steps:

  1. Once the active account is selected, tap Profile at the bottom right, then the three-bar icon on the top right. This will direct you to the Settings and Privacy menu.
  2. Tap the Manage account option. Next, inside the Manage account menu, choose the last option below. Delete account.
  3. When you tap this option, you will be given a chance to download and back up your TikTok data. If you want to keep your data, tap on the request download button (highlighted in red), select your preferred file format, then proceed with the Request data button.
  4. Returning to the first download TikTok data menu, tick the agreement checkbox, and tap Continue.
  5. You’ll be given one more page, where instructions and additional information about your account deletion are provided. Read these if you want; otherwise, keep tapping Continue.
  6. Next, you will need to enter the password of that particular account. Input the password, tap the Delete account button, and confirm that you will delete that account one last time.

Before entering your password, the final message informs you that your TikTik account will be deactivated 30 days after the request for account deletion starts. Only after these 30 days will the TikTok account be permanently erased.

How To delete a TikTok Account WITHOUT Password

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Image Credit by HS You via Flickr

In case you don’t know your password, and cannot get through the last step of the first guide above, here’s the alternative method:

  1. Get to the Settings and Privacy menu, and tap the Manage account menu.
  2. Select the Password option. A 6-digit verification code is then sent to the account’s registered email address.
  3. Type the code before the time limit expires. You will now have the option to change the password of your TikTok account.
  4. Once you change your password, you can follow the steps in the guide above. That is, of course, if you remember the password that you’ve just freshly updated.

If you don’t want to use any password, you might have to satisfy online legal processing services to request a manual TikTok account deletion. Be warned; however, the steps for this method are far more complicated.

DoNotPay, for example, has numerous stringent verification methods to ensure that you are the owner of the account being deleted.

How to delete a TikTok account through the web

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Image Credit by HS You via Flickr

Head to TikTok.com and log in to the account you plan to delete. Once you have accessed the account on a web browser, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the circular icon at the top right to reveal a drop-down menu. Then, click on the Settings option. By default, you will be taken to the Manage account page.
  2. Under the Manage account section, click the Delete option (highlighted in red).
  3. A window will open stating details on what should happen when you delete your account. Click the Continue button if you still wish to proceed.
  4. The window then forwards you to a code window, where you will be sent a 4-digit SMS verification code to the phone number connected with the account. Enter the code within the time limit to activate the Delete account button.
  5. You will be given one final confirmation of the deletion option. Click Delete to complete the deletion.

Confirming the deletion will deactivate your TikTok account for 30 days, after which your account is completely removed from the platform. Note that the account only gets permanently erased once this time runs out.

Recovering a deleted account TikTok Account

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Image Credit by Solen Feyissa via Flickr

To recover a deleted TikTok account within the 30 days deactivation period, log into the particular account on the mobile app. You will be taken to a page indicating that the account is under deactivation. Then, tap on the Reactivate button for TikTok to automatically make the account visible on the platform again.

Note that this method requires the account to be under the 30-day deactivation period because, after the 30 days, your account will no longer be recognized by the system.

If you want to speak to TikTok about any matters relating to a deactivated or deleted account, you will need to contact TikTok directly. Report a problem on your account by contacting TikTok at the following email addresses:

You can also submit feedback on TikTok’s official report page.

Tell them the name of the account. Then, if TikTok’s management confirms that the account is indeed recoverable, provide whatever verification requirements are necessary.

Remember that this is not a guaranteed method of recovering your TikTok account. It’s more convenient to reactivate an account within the 30-day deactivation period.

Option to Back up your TikTok Data

As mentioned earlier, before starting the deletion process (30-day deactivation), you will first be prompted to back up your TikTok data. The data may include your profile info, activity, and personal settings.

You can choose to save the information in either TXT or JSON format. Then, once the data download is ready, you can download it onto the computer you are using to delete the TikTok account.

Summary

To recap, deleting a TikTok account is as easy as going to the Manage account settings and following the steps until the deletion process starts. While passwords are required, and the deletion is more like extended deactivation, the process is pretty straightforward.

You are also given the option to back up your data in case you should ever want the same settings for a new account or need a clone of the old account.

Lastly, you can reactivate your account within a 30-day deactivation period. This reverses the delete TikTok account process. After the 30-day deactivation period is over, it will be hard to restore your account.

Round Up

Deleting an account may be the last thing a user wants to do on a social media platform as engaging as TikTok. But, the option is there, and TikTok has designed an extended deactivation feature for a good reason.

This reversal feature can prove helpful because sometimes users may have probably been hasty to delete an account. Other times users might have too many accounts.

In other situations, a parent may want to delete their child’s TikTok account. Or, the account may have become an irrelevant relic of a past the user has outgrown.

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