Snapchat is a popular social media app allowing users to share photos and videos with friends. While Snapchat is banned in China, the world’s most extensive user base, this limitation hasn’t prevented the platform from becoming one of the internet’s most significant ones. Hence, today, it boasts three hundred million daily users.
But the size of a social media network has nothing to do with its usefulness. Sometimes you need to get away from some things. If this time, Snapchat is what’s irritating you, here’s how to deactivate your Snapchat account once and for all.
Deactivate Snapchat account – Quick guide
We will explain in detail every step you need to take if you want to download all your Snapchat data and permanently disable your account. However, the essential process is pretty simple, and if you’re in a bit of a rush, here’s what you need to do:
- Log in to your Snapchat account.
- Click on the “Download my data” option to download all your personal data before you disable your Snapchat account.
- Follow the “Account deactivation” link to start with the process.
- You will need to provide your credentials again. If your account has 2FA, then follow through with the second-factor verification.
You are home now. Your Snapchat account is deactivated. Now you can’t use it, and others can’t send you messages.
Download your Snapchat data
If you’d like to keep any of the data you have stored on Snapchat, you need to do it before you disable your account. Once your account is disabled, you can’t do anything with it anymore unless you request a reactivation before 30 days. So having access to the information you intend to download requires an active account.
- Log into your account.
- Next, click on “My Data.”
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll find the “Submit request” button. Click on it.
- You now need to provide your email address verified with your Snapchat account (the one you provided when you signed up for a new account.)
After a few seconds, the email address in question should get a message from Snapchat. Inside it, you will find a link that will enable you to download a file that contains all of your Snapchat information. That information may include your user name, snap history, chat history, memories, friends, search history, and bitmojis.
What kind of information does Snapchat store about me?
Snapchat keeps three types of information, as outlined below:
- The information acquired when using Snapchat. It includes information about your device, logs, location, etc.
- The information acquired from third parties. Particularly other users’ contact lists and information from third-party apps and advertisers.
- The information you decide to provide. It includes all the data you submit to the app while using the app.
If the law requires, Snapchat may share this information with business partners, other users, concerned parties, or sister corporations. It may also share your data with data brokers or use it for personal gain via ad-targeting. Fortunately, you can use services like Incogni to get out of data brokers automatically. Besides Snapchat is not private, it is also not secure. For example, it does not use end-to-end encryption, like other social media applications. Alternatively, you can opt to use more secure messaging platforms that respect your privacy, like Telegram and Signal.
Deactivate your Snapchat account
After downloading your data, you can proceed toward Snapchat deactivation. However, remember that these steps are just the initiation of your departure from the platform. To complete Snapchat account removal, you must perform some additional steps (explained in the following section).
But before deactivating, double-check your downloaded Snapchat data to ensure you don’t regret deleting your account.
You cannot delete your Snapchat account from the Android app, but you may do so through your browser by following the steps below:
- Navigate to the Snapchat Account Portal page using your browser.
- Sign in to your Snapchat account.
- Click on ‘Delete My Account.’
- Re-enter your username and password.
- Select ‘Continue’ at the bottom to finish the process.