The Complete Guide on How to Permanently Delete Your Reddit Account

Hey friend! Have you been thinking about deleting your Reddit account lately? Maybe you want more privacy, don‘t use it much anymore, or just want a fresh start.

Whatever the reason, deleting your Reddit account is totally possible. But it‘s also permanent – once it‘s gone, it‘s gone for good!

In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through how to permanently delete your Reddit account. I‘ll also cover:

What happens when you delete your Reddit account
If you can reactivate a deleted Reddit account
How to delete individual posts and comments
Reddit account deletion alternatives
And much more to help you make the right decision!

So whether you use Reddit on desktop or mobile, you‘ll know exactly how to delete your account by the end of this guide.

Let‘s get started!

Overview: How Does Deleting Your Reddit Account Work?

Before we get into the steps, here is a quick overview of how Reddit account deletion works:

It‘s permanent – Unlike Facebook or Instagram, there‘s no deactivation period or way to recover your account.
Your content remains – Posts, comments, messages stay on Reddit but are anonymized.
No deactivation option – You can only fully delete your account, not temporarily disable it.
Premium continues – Any active Reddit Premium subscription will not be automatically canceled.

So in a nutshell, deleting your Reddit account erases your profile and username permanently, but your existing content stays (anonymous) and Reddit still keeps some personal data internally.

Should You Delete Your Reddit Account?

Deleting your Reddit account is a big decision – it‘s permanent and you lose all your profile data forever. Here are some common reasons people delete their accounts:

Privacy concerns – Reddit collects tons of user data. Deleting can reset this.
Waste of time – The endless scrolling can be addicting. Removing your account helps break the habit.
Embarrassing content – You can erase old posts or comments you regret.
Harassment – Deletes your account to escape bullying or threats from other users.
Fresh start – Lets you start over with a brand new account if your current one has issues.
Lost interest – You simply don‘t enjoy Reddit anymore and want it gone.

So think carefully about why you want to delete your account, and whether the nuclear option is really necessary, or if you may want to come back someday.

According to Reddit’s 2021 transparency report, around 300,000 Reddit accounts are deleted each month. So you‘re definitely not alone if you want to delete!

Next, let‘s go over what happens to your account when it‘s deleted.

What Happens When You Delete Your Reddit Account?

Wondering exactly what happens behind the scenes if you permanently delete your Reddit account? Here‘s what to expect:

Profile removed – Your Reddit profile and username are deleted forever. The username can never be claimed again.
Posts anonymized – Your existing posts and comments remain publicly visible, but your username is changed to [deleted].
Lost access – You lose access to the account, profile, settings, subscribed communities, and all other data.
Premium continues – Any active Premium subscription is NOT automatically canceled when your account is deleted.
Email kept – The email you signed up with still remains in Reddit‘s internal systems.

So in summary:

Your public presence is erased.
Your existing content remains, but it is now anonymous and disassociated from you.
Some personal data like your signup email continues to be stored by Reddit internally.

Many people are surprised to learn deleting your account doesn‘t fully erase your data from Reddit‘s systems. Now let‘s go over your options if you change your mind after deletion.

Can You Recover a Deleted Reddit Account?

No, there is no way to recover or reactivate a deleted Reddit account. Once you confirm the permanent deletion, it cannot be undone.

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, Reddit does not allow deactivated accounts to be restored. According to Reddit‘s account deletion policy:

"Accounts cannot be recovered once deleted. When an account is deleted, it is permanently gone forever."

This means if you regret deleting your account, you have no options to get it back. Your only recourse is to create an entirely new account with a different username.

So be 100% sure you want to proceed before confirming the account deletion! There are no take-backs or account recovery options after it‘s gone.

Before You Delete: Clean Up Your Account

Since deleting your account doesn‘t remove your posts or comments from Reddit, it‘s smart to do some clean up beforehand:

Delete old posts/comments – Manually remove specific posts or comments from your profile that you want gone. Just click the "…" menu next to each item and select delete.
Use Reddit nuke tools – Browser extensions like Nuke Reddit History can anonymize or bulk delete your content.
Remove personal info – Delete any personal details like your real name or location from your profile and bio.

Taking these steps allows you to remove your most sensitive content and personal info before nuking your account.

Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting Your Reddit Account on Desktop

Ready to delete your account? Here is an easy step-by-step walkthrough for permanently deleting your Reddit account via the desktop website:

Step 1: Log Into Your Account

First, log into your Reddit account through the desktop website in any modern browser. Make sure you‘re logged into the account you want to delete.

Step 2: Access Your User Settings

Next, click on your username in the top right corner of the screen. This opens up a dropdown menu.

Select "User Settings" from this menu.

Click User Settings

Step 3: Click Deactivate Account

On your User Settings page, scroll down and click the "Deactivate Account" option under Account Settings near the bottom:

Click Deactivate Account

Step 4: Enter Your Password

A popup will appear asking you to enter your account password again to confirm you want to proceed.

Type in your current account password and click "Deactivate Account".

Step 5: Confirm the Deletion

Double check the box confirming you understand deactivated accounts cannot be recovered.

Then click the red "Deactivate Account" button to complete the deletion.

Step 6: Click Delete on the Confirmation Prompt

A final confirmation prompt will appear. Click "Yes, delete my account" to finalize the permanent deletion.

And that‘s it! Your Reddit account has been deleted. The whole process takes less than a minute.

How to Delete Your Reddit Account on Mobile

You can also easily delete your Reddit account right from the iOS or Android mobile app:

Step 1: Open the Reddit app and tap your profile icon.

Step 2: Tap "Settings" in the menu.

Step 3: Tap "Help FAQ" under General Settings.

Step 4: Search for "deactivate account" using the search bar.

Step 5: Tap "How do I deactivate my account?".

Step 6: Tap the "click this link" text to go to the deactivation page.

Step 7: Log into your account when prompted.

Step 8: Select a reason for deactivating if you want, then check the box to confirm.

Step 9: Tap "Deactivate Account".

Step 10: Confirm again on the pop-up prompt.

And that‘s all it takes to permanently delete your account on mobile! Just a few simple taps.

What to Do If You Change Your Mind After Deleting Account

Based on Reddit‘s strict account deletion policy, there is unfortunately no way to recover or reactivate your deleted Reddit account if you change your mind later.

Since the deletion is permanent, your only option is to create a brand new Reddit account with a different username and start completely fresh.

Some things you‘ll lose that cannot be recovered after deleting your Reddit account:

Your profile, karma score, and badges
Customized settings and preferences
Subscribed subreddits
Saved posts and content
Message history and conversations
Transaction history if you purchased coins
Your previous username

So be 100% sure you want to proceed before deleting your account, because there is no going back!

Should You Deactivate Your Reddit Account Instead?

If you‘re unsure about permanent deletion, you may want to consider temporarily deactivating your Reddit account instead using a third party option:

Delete the app – Removing the Reddit app from your phone prevents easy access.
Website blockers – Browser extensions can block Reddit.com so you can take a break.
Limit notifications – Disable all Reddit notifications so it‘s out of sight & out of mind.
Step away – Just take a breather for a few weeks without fully deleting it.

These options allow you to temporarily distance yourself from Reddit without nuking your account completely.

What to Do Before Deleting Your Reddit Account

Since deleting your Reddit account is irreversible, here are some things you should do first:

Download your data – Request an archive of your Reddit data for records.
Change login details – Update the password and email on the account to be deleted.
Cancel Premium – Disable auto-renew on any paid Reddit Premium subscription.
Delete posts – Manually remove individual posts and comments you want gone.
Anonymize content – Use Reddit nuke tools to erase or anonymize some of your content.

Taking these steps allows you to preserve important data for your records, remove personal details, and tidy up your Reddit presence before the final deletion.

Can Someone Else Take Your Username After You Delete Your Account?

No, when you delete your Reddit account, your username is permanently removed from ever being used again by anyone else in the future. According to Reddit‘s username policy:

"Deleted and inactive usernames cannot be registered again by other users."

So you don‘t have to worry about someone else claiming your old username after you delete your account. It will be 100% inaccessible as if it never existed.

Does Deleting Your Account Also Cancel Reddit Premium?

No, deleting your Reddit account does NOT automatically cancel or disable any active Reddit Premium subscription you have.

Your Premium membership will continue even though the associated account no longer exists. You‘ll need to manually turn off auto-renewing payments before deleting the account.

To cancel Premium, go to your Premium membership settings and disable the automatic renewal option. This ensures you won‘t get unexpectedly charged after deleting your account.

Can You Delete Just One of Your Multiple Reddit Accounts?

Yes, if you have multiple Reddit accounts under the same email address, you can selectively delete just one account while keeping the others.

Simply log into the specific account you want to delete, and follow the normal deletion process outlined above.

Your other accounts will not be affected and you can still access them normally. Reddit allows you to delete accounts one by one.

How to Delete Your Reddit History and Data

Keep in mind that deleting your Reddit account does NOT remove your existing posts, comments, or other data. To proactively erase your Reddit activity, you have a few options:

Manually Delete

Go through your profile and manually delete individual posts, comments, and other content you want removed.

Use Reddit Nuke Tools

Browser extensions like Nuke Reddit History or Reddit Overwrite can automatically overwrite or erase your Reddit history en masse.

Contact Reddit Admins

You can request Reddit support delete all your data by emailing [email protected], but success varies.

Thoroughly wiping your entire Reddit history requires using nuke tools or contacting admins directly. Simply deleting your account alone won‘t suffice.

What Should You Do If Reddit Recommends Deactivating Your Account?

Sometimes Reddit may directly recommend a problematic user voluntarily deactivate their account. This usually occurs if you violated site policies.

If Reddit is suggesting you deactivate your account, you have a few options:

Comply and delete your account – This avoids further penalties or restrictions from admins.
Appeal decision – You can reply to the warning and provide more context on why you should stay.
Lay low – Don‘t post or comment for a while until scrutiny dies down.
Create alt account – Make a new account with a different username to start fresh.
Review content – Delete old posts that may have violated policies to clean up your history.
Request warning removal – Ask admins to remove the warning if enough time has passed.

Essentially you can either comply by deactivating, convince admins you deserve another chance, or start over with a clean slate on a new account.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Deleting Reddit Accounts

Let‘s round things up by answering some of the most frequently asked questions about permanently deleting Reddit accounts:

Can someone else claim my old username if I delete my account?

No, your old username is permanently removed and can never be used by anyone else once you delete the account.

What happens to my Reddit Premium subscription if I delete my account?

It will continue automatically renewing until you manually cancel and disable Premium before deleting the account.

Is there any way to reactivate my account if I change my mind after deleting?

No, there is unfortunately no way to recover or restore a deleted Reddit account. The deletion is permanent.

Can I just deactivate my Reddit account temporarily instead?

No, Reddit does not allow temporary deactivation. Your only options are keeping the account or permanent deletion.

Where is the "delete account" option located in the app?

It‘s hidden – go to Settings > Help FAQ > search for "deactivate account" > click link.

Does deleting my account also delete my posts and comments?

No, your existing Reddit posts/comments remain but are anonymized to show as posted by [deleted].

Can someone tell I requested account deletion?

No, the deletion looks the same as any normal account. No one can see you chose to deactivate it.

And there you have it – everything you could possibly need to know about permanently deleting your Reddit account!

The Bottom Line

I hope this detailed guide gave you a complete overview of how account deletion works on Reddit. While the option is there, deleting your account is permanent and should be done with care.

Make sure you download your data, cancel Premium, and delete any sensitive content beforehand. And seriously consider whether you may ever want to use Reddit again in the future.

Once your account is gone, it‘s gone for good! There are no take backs.

But if you are totally sure, deleting your Reddit account is straightforward. Just follow the step-by-step instructions above to remove your profile and username forever.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help walk through technology issues and provide insider tips. Wishing you the best!