The Ultimate 7-Step Guide To Permanently Delete Your X (Twitter) Account In 2025

Leaving X (formerly Twitter) permanently can feel like a complex process, but it's fundamentally a two-step action that hinges on a critical 30-day waiting period. As of December 2025, the platform's policy remains consistent: you must first initiate an account *deactivation*, which then triggers the permanent deletion process. This guide provides the most current, step-by-step instructions for both desktop and mobile users, ensuring your profile, tweets, and personal data are removed from the social network for good. The decision to permanently delete your X account is a significant step toward digital decluttering and regaining control over your personal data. Before you proceed, it is crucial to understand the implications, especially regarding the 30-day window, your data archive, and the eventual re-availability of your unique username. Follow this definitive guide to ensure you successfully erase your presence from the platform.

Pre-Deletion Checklist: 3 Essential Steps Before You Deactivate

Before you click the "Deactivate" button, there are a few preparatory steps you must take to ensure you retain any valuable data and prevent potential issues down the line. Missing these steps could mean losing years of content or having your username claimed by someone else.

1. Download Your X Data Archive

The most important pre-deletion step is to request and download your X Data Archive. Once your account is permanently deleted, this information—which includes all your tweets, direct messages, media, and account history—will be irrecoverable. * Step 1: Go to Settings and Privacy. * Step 2: Select Your Account. * Step 3: Choose Download an archive of your data. * Step 4: You will be prompted to verify your identity with your password and a verification code sent to your email or phone. * Step 5: Once verified, X will prepare a ZIP file of your data. This can take up to 24 hours. You will receive a notification when the file is ready to download.

2. Unlink Your Email and Username (Optional but Recommended)

While X claims that your email and username are released after the 30-day deactivation period, some users prefer to proactively change them to ensure they are immediately available for a new account or completely unlinked from the deleted one. * Change Email: Go to Settings and Privacy -> Your Account -> Account Information -> Email. Change it to a temporary, unused email address. * Change Username: Go to Settings and Privacy -> Your Account -> Account Information -> Username. Change your current username to something random and temporary (e.g., `@tempuser12345`).

3. Clear Third-Party App Access

Any third-party applications (like scheduling tools, analytics platforms, or games) that you have authorized to access your X account will retain that access even after deactivation. To fully sever ties and protect your data, you must revoke their permissions. * Go to Settings and Privacy -> Security and Account Access -> Apps and Sessions -> Connected Apps. * Review the list and click Revoke access for every application you no longer want connected to your account.

The 7-Step Permanent Deletion Process (Desktop & Mobile)

The actual deletion process is initiated by *deactivating* your account. The steps are virtually identical whether you are using the X website on a desktop or the mobile application.

1. Log In to X: Sign in to the X (Twitter) account you wish to delete using your browser or the mobile app.
2. Access the Main Menu:
   • Desktop: Click the More option in the navigation menu on the left side of the screen.
   • Mobile: Tap your Profile Icon in the top-left corner.
3. Navigate to Settings: Click or tap Settings and Support, then select Settings and Privacy.
4. Find Deactivation: Under the "Settings and Privacy" menu, click or tap Your Account.
5. Initiate Deactivation: Select the Deactivate your account option.
6. Read the Deactivation Notice: X will display a warning page detailing what happens when you deactivate, primarily emphasizing the 30-day grace period and the permanent deletion of your data afterward.
7. Confirm and Finalize: Click the Deactivate button at the bottom of the page, enter your password when prompted, and confirm the action.

Once you complete step 7, your account is officially deactivated. Your profile, tweets, and media will immediately disappear from the public-facing X platform.

The Critical 30-Day Deactivation Period and Data Retention

Understanding the 30-day deactivation period is key to permanent deletion. This is the crucial entity that determines whether your account is truly gone forever or simply hidden.

The 30-Day Grace Period

The deactivation process is not an instant deletion. It is a 30-day grace period during which your account is hidden from public view. * To Permanently Delete: You must not log in to the account for the entire 30-day period. * To Restore/Recover: If you log back into the account at any point *before* the 30 days are up, the deactivation is cancelled, and your account will be fully restored. If you successfully avoid logging in for 30 full days, X will then proceed to permanently delete your account and all associated data from its production servers.

What Happens to Your Data and Username?

While X states that your data is permanently deleted after 30 days, there are nuances in their data retention policy that are important for topical authority and privacy awareness. * Tweets and Profile Data: Your public-facing profile, including your profile picture, bio, and all your tweets, will be permanently removed from X's servers. * Direct Messages (DMs): X's policy indicates that some Direct Messages may be retained for a longer period, potentially up to six years, even after permanent account deletion. * Payment and Legal Records: Any records related to transactions, payments for X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue), or communications with X support may be stored longer to comply with legal requirements. * Username Availability: After the 30-day deactivation period expires and the account is permanently deleted, your username (handle) generally becomes available for other users to claim.

My Account is Deleted, But My Tweets Still Appear in Google!

It is common for users to find their old tweets or profile pages still appearing in search engine results (like Google or Bing) even after permanent deletion. This is not X's fault; it's a matter of search engine caching. * The Solution: X removes the content from its platform, but search engines might take longer to recrawl and update their stored copies (the cache). You can manually request that Google remove the outdated content using their Outdated Content Removal Tool, which can significantly speed up the process of erasing your digital footprint. By following these updated steps and understanding the critical 30-day window, you can successfully achieve the permanent deletion of your X (Twitter) account in 2025.