IS quitting social media one of your New Year's resolutions? It's not as easy as you'd like.
Tech firms often bury their 'Delete Account' options deep in user settings, or often different levels of profile removal – so follow our guide below to get the job done quickly.
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Sick of fake news? Worried about huge social media hacks? Hiding from your boss or annoying pals? Or simply fed up of the whole thing?
Whatever your reason for wanting to delete social media, we're here to help.
How to delete Facebook
If you want to permanently delete Facebook, the social network has a page dedicated to the process.
There is no going back from permanently deleting Facebook though, so it is a good idea to back up all of your data first.
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This means that if you decide you want Facebook back in the future, you will not have lost all of your photos, contacts, and other information.
Follow these easy steps to download your Facebook data:
- Click the down arrow at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings
- Click "Download a copy of your Facebook data" at the bottom of the General Account Settings
- Click Start My Archive
To delete Facebook once and for all, simply head over to Facebook's 'Delete Account' page and follow the instructions provided.
Your archive will probably be very large, as it includes posts, comments, photos, messages, and much more.
Because this download includes all of your profile information, it's important to keep it secure, as it could potentially be used by fraudsters if it fell into the wrong hands.
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How to delete Twitter
Deleting Twitter is easy enough and – like Snapchat – can be undone during a "cooling off" period.
You have up to 30 days after deactivation to change your mind.
Simply log back in during the 30-day window and your account will be brought back to life.
To delete your account, follow these steps:
- Go to the Twitter.com website
- Click on Settings and Privacy
- From the Account tab, click Deactivate Your Account at the bottom of the page
- Read the info, then click Deactivate @username
- Then enter your password and confirm you want to proceed
Your account will then be deactivated, pending total deletion.
To change your mind, just log back in within 30 days after hitting delete.
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How to delete Instagram
Deleting your Instagram account is serious business, so don't take the decision lightly.
Once you delete your account, it can't be reactivated.
And you won't be able to sign back up with the same username, or add that username to another account.
To delete your account, follow these steps:
- First, go to the Delete Your Account page on a web browser
- If you're not already logged in on the web, you'll be prompted to enter your username and password
- You'll then need to choose an option from a dropdown menu asking 'Why are you deleting your account?'
- Then you'll need to re-enter your password
- The option to delete your account will then appear
- Tap Permanently Delete My Account
It's impossible to delete your account from inside the Instagram app, so don't even bother trying to find the setting.
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How to delete Snapchat
Firstly, don't panic if you're not entirely sure you want to bin Snapchat.
Once you start the deletion process, you have a 30-day "cooling off" period during which you can change your mind.
All you need to do is log back into your account and the account deletion will halt.
However, during the deletion, your pals won't be able to contact you.
To delete your account, follow these steps:
- Go to Snapchat.com
- Click on Support at the bottom of the page
- Choose My Account & Security, then Account Information
- Tap Delete My Account
- Then follow the link to the Snapchat Accounts Portal
- Enter your login details twice, then press Continue
The deletion process will begin, and will only be interrupted if you log back in within 30 days.
If you don't, your account will disappear forever.
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Will you be ditching social media this year? Let us know in the comments!
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