Reddit, unlike other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, does not allow temporary deactivation of accounts. Rather, on Reddit, you have to be certain you want to do away with your account forever, since you can only delete your account.
If you’re ready to delete your Reddit account, follow these steps:
- Log in on Reddit.
- In the top right hand of the screen, click on your Username, then choose “User Settings.”
- Open the “Account Tab” and scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Click on the “Delete Account” button that’s highlighted in red.
- Optional: Fill in a reason for deleting your account.
- Fill in your credentials for security purposes.
- Check the box that indicates that you understand that deleted accounts are not recoverable.
- Click on “Delete.”
- A popup will warn you the action cannot be undone. Click on “Delete” again.
It’s good to note that deleting your Reddit account does not automatically erase all your comments and posts. Instead, you have to delete each post and comment individually before moving on to deletion.
In our full article below we discuss how you can back up your data, delete your posts, and delete your Reddit account in more detail.
Reddit, which presents itself as the “front page of the internet,” has grown into a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, this didn’t come without detrimental effects. In 2019, Reddit quietly re-enabled a setting that allowed them to collect user location data, which they shared with third parties.
While Reddit can be fun, users cannot ignore the deep-seated privacy issues that plague the platform. Not to mention, excessive use can quickly spiral into an addiction, which can especially be dangerous for younger users on Reddit. That’s why some users might want to get rid of their Reddit account once and for all. In this article, we will show you how to delete a Reddit account completely, as well as how to back up your data and delete Reddit comments.
Can I Deactivate Reddit?
Unlike most social media platforms, Reddit does not allow you to deactivate your account. This means there is no way to “pause” your account temporarily and reactivate it later. Instead, you can only delete your Reddit account permanently. That’s why you should be absolutely certain you want to do away with your account and username forever before you take any further steps.
Should I Delete My Posts and Comments?
Deleting your Reddit account does not automatically remove your posts and comments. You’ll have to do that separately. If you don’t, your Reddit username will not appear on top of your posts anymore as shown below. Instead, it will be replaced with [deleted], but your messages and posts will remain intact.
Therefore, if you have any personally identifiable information posts, such as your real name, where you work, or even a holiday announcement, it’s wise to delete those before deactivating your account. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to.
On the other hand, helpful answers to questions you may have posted can be invaluable to users long after you deleted your account. For example, a post sharing important tips for first-time international travelers is best to leave up, even when you’re closing down your account.
In the end, it’s good to review your post history and decide which information may be worth leaving online and which posts need to be deleted.
Step 1: Back Up Your Reddit Information
Even if you wish to delete your Reddit account, you may still want to keep all your posts to reminisce about your time on the site in the future. If that’s you, you should back up your Reddit data before deleting your account.
Unfortunately, Reddit does not provide a data export functionality that allows you to back up your data instantly. Instead, you must submit a request, which may take up to 30 days to be answered. In practice, this time often is much shorter. Our data request, for example, took just six hours to be processed.
How to download your Reddit posts
If you would like to back up your data on Reddit, follow the steps below:
- Visit the “Request Your Data” webpage in your browser.
- Confirm your username, then check the appropriate option under “What type of request is it?” Choose “GDPR” if you’re a citizen of the European Union, “CCPA” if you’re in California, and “Other” if you’re anywhere else in the world.
- Choose whether you’d like data pertaining to a certain time period or all your Reddit data. Then click “Submit.”
- A confirmation page will acknowledge receipt of your request.
- In a couple of days (or hours, in our case), you’ll receive a link from u/RedditDataRequests in your Reddit inbox. This link will lead you to an archive containing your data.
- Click the link to download the archive.
- Unzip the file to find CSV files containing all your data.
- Open the files with Microsoft Excel or a similar program to view them.
And there you have it: all your Reddit data is stored on your device. You’re now ready to wipe your data from Reddit before deleting your account for good. To do so, read on.
Step 2: Delete Your Reddit Posts and Comments
As mentioned earlier, deleting your account does not delete your data. A good rule of thumb is to delete posts and comments that contain personal information and leave behind helpful information for other users.
That said, you should be aware that the process is a bit tedious, especially if you’ve been active on the platform for a while. Why? Because on Reddit, you must delete old posts and comments individually.
How to delete a Reddit post
To delete a Reddit post, log into Reddit and follow these steps:
- Click on your username in the upper right corner, then click on “Profile.”
- Click on the “Posts” tab.
- Click the three horizontal dots next to the post(s) you would like to delete. Then, click “Delete.”
- Confirm you want to delete the post.
How to delete a Reddit comment
You should also check the comments you left on other people’s posts for personal information you might not want on the internet forever. Here’s how you can delete your old Reddit comments.
- Navigate to the “Comments” tab under “Profile.”
- Click on the three horizontal dots under your comment, then click “Delete.”
- Confirm that you want to delete the comment.
Repeat these steps to delete other posts and comments.
Step 3: Delete Your Reddit Account
Whether you’ve been turned off by Reddit’s lackluster privacy policies or you want to reclaim your time, the platform allows you to delete your account. Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions to completely delete a Reddit account on different devices.
How to delete a Reddit account on desktop
Once you’ve backed up your data and deleted any posts and comments with personal information, it’s time to proceed with deleting your account. Below is a step-by-step process on how to do this on desktop:
- Go to the Reddit website and log in.
- In the top right corner of the screen, click on your Username and then on “User Settings.”
- Under the “Account” tab, scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Click on the “Delete Account” button highlighted in red.
- Reddit will ask you why you want to delete your account. You can fill this in, but you don’t have to.
- Fill in your credentials again for security purposes.
- Tick the box in front of “I understand that deleted accounts aren’t recoverable” and then click on “Delete“.
- A pop-up will warn you the action cannot be undone. Click on “Delete.”
Voilà! You’ve permanently deleted your Reddit account for good.
How to delete a Reddit account on Android
If you’d like to delete your Reddit account on your Android phone, follow these steps:
- Open your favorite mobile browser on your Android phone.
- Visit the Account Settings page on Reddit.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Delete Account” highlighted in red.
- A popup will appear requesting feedback on why you are deactivating your account (optional). Enter your account credentials, then tick the confirmation box and click on “Delete Account.”
- Confirm you would like to permanently delete your Reddit account by tapping “Delete.”
Your Reddit account has now been permanently removed. To confirm, try logging in with your deleted username and password. It should show an error.
How to delete a Reddit account on iPhone
Deleting your Reddit account on an iPhone is super easy. Here’s how:
- Open the iPhone Reddit app and tap on your Avatar in the top right corner.
- At the bottom, tap on “Settings.”
- Tap on “Delete Account” at the bottom of the list. It should show up in red.
- You’ll get a pop-up requesting confirmation. Tap on “Yes, Delete.”
Your account has now been successfully deleted.
Update Your Reddit Privacy Settings
If you don’t wish to delete your Reddit account, but want to limit the amount of data Reddit collects about you, you can change your privacy settings. Privacy settings grant users the opportunity to switch off data collection for those bits of information they don’t wish to share. Luckily, the process is quick and easy:
- Log in to the Reddit website on Reddit.com using your favorite browser.
- In the top right corner, click on your Username, then choose “User Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- Click the tab titled “Safety & Privacy.”
- Scroll down to the section titled “Privacy” and turn off the options you’re not comfortable with.
In its privacy policy, Reddit discloses that they collect certain personal information, such as location, cookie data, and linked accounts data. This data may be used for their own internal purposes, shared with third parties, or for targeted advertising.
Switching your privacy settings off is a step towards protecting your information while on the platform. If you’d like to know more, you can read our full article on Reddit’s privacy settings.
Clear Your Reddit History
Reddit saves every post you click on in its history. It’s a nifty feature that allows you to revisit a post you’ve previously accessed. However, it also has its downsides. Through your history, someone with access to your Reddit account would be able to see the posts you interact with on the platform. That’s why it might be nice to clean up your Reddit history every once in a while.
Clearing your history is only possible on the app on Android and iPhone. You’ll find the full instructions below.
How to clear your Reddit history on Android
Here’s how you can clear your Reddit history on Android:
- Open the Android app, then click on your Avatar in the top right corner.
- Click on “History.”
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Click on “Clear History.”
That’s it! You can now keep your post interactions on Reddit private.
How to clear your Reddit history on iPhone
To wipe your Reddit history from prying eyes on your iPhone, follow these quick steps:
- Open the Reddit app on your iPhone and tap your Avatar in the top right corner.
- Tap “Settings” at the bottom.
- Tap “Clear Local History“.
Done! Your history has been deleted. Make this a habit so to keep your post interactions private.
Use a VPN for Reddit
Despite Reddit giving you some control over what you can share with them, they still collect an immense amount of information about you in various ways that aren’t quite as easy to restrict. This is where using a virtual private network (VPN) can help.
With a VPN, you can go the extra mile and mask your IP address, browsing activity, and other identifying factors that are used to track you online. This will make you safer and more anonymous on the internet, including on Reddit. A VPN can even give you more online freedom by giving you access to content you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. If you were wrongfully banned on Reddit, it can even help you regain access to the platform!
We should mention, however, that a VPN won’t make you completely anonymous on Reddit. The platform can still see your account’s activity, it just won’t be able to see your actual location.
Both Reddit and our team of experts consider NordVPN to be the best VPN for Reddit because it offers great levels of security as well as high speeds. If you’d like to give it a try, you can head over to NordVPN’s official website right away. Would you rather read more about different VPN options? Check out our list of the best VPNs for Reddit or the best VPNs recommended by Reddit.
Social Media Privacy Tips
Reddit is undeniably entertaining and informative. However, it can also have negative consequences, such as loss of time, personal information shared on the platform coming back to haunt you, or online tracking due to your data being shared with third parties.
In the case of Reddit and other social media sites, it’s good to enjoy all that the platforms have to offer, while also taking your data privacy seriously. You can do this by using a VPN and taking a minute to review your privacy settings and turn off features such as location access, search engine indexing, and personalized ads.
If you’d rather stop with the socials altogether, you can always permanently delete your social media accounts. Are you on a social media purge? One of these articles might come in handy:
- How to Delete Your Twitter Account
- How to Delete Your Facebook Account
- How to Delete Your LinkedIn Account
- How to Delete Your Instagram Account
- How to Delete Your Telegram Account
Didn’t find what you were looking for in the article? Find below the most common questions regarding how to delete your Reddit account.
To permanently delete your Reddit account on desktop, follow these steps:
- Log in on Reddit.
- Click on your Username in the top right corner, then on “User Settings.”
- Click on “Delete Account” at the bottom of the “Account” tab.
- Fill in your credentials, check the box to indicate you understand that deleted accounts are not recoverable, then click on “Delete.”
- Click on “Delete” again in the pop-up that shows up.
You’ll be notified that your account has been deleted.
Here’s how to delete your Reddit account via Android:
- Visit Reddit’s Account Settings page.
- Click on “Delete Account” highlighted in red at the bottom.
- Enter your credentials, tick the confirmation box, and click on “Delete Account.”
- Confirm you would like to delete your account, then tap “Delete.”
If you’d like to know how to back up your data or delete your posts first, read our article on how to delete your Reddit account.
Deleting your Reddit account on an iPhone is easy. Here’s how:
- Open the iPhone Reddit app. Tap on your avatar in the top right corner.
- Click on “Settings.”
- Tap “Delete Account” at the bottom.
- You’ll get a popup requesting confirmation. Tap “Delete.”
Keep in mind that deleting your Reddit account is instant and irreversible. If you’d like to make a backup of your posts or delete comments with personal information, you should do that before deleting your account.
No, Reddit only offers a delete option. Unlike other social media platforms, Reddit doesn’t have a “temporary deactivation” feature that allows you to restore your account if you change your mind in the future.
Once you delete your Reddit account, it’s gone forever and you cannot reclaim it or sign up with that username again. All links and posts associated with it will be disassociated and your username will be replaced with “[deleted].” This means that deleting your account won’t automatically delete all your posts and comments. If you want to delete any post or comment on Reddit, you should do so before deactivating your account.
A Reddit account is deleted immediately once you confirm the deletion. However, your posts and comments still remain intact, although your username won’t be shown on them anymore. You can learn more in this article on deleting Reddit accounts.
