How to Permanently Delete Your Reddit Account (2026)

Reddit is unusual among major platforms in two ways: there is no deactivation option at all, and deleting your account does not delete your posts and comments — they stay up, just with your name stripped off. Here's exactly how deletion works, what actually disappears, and what you need to do beforehand if you want your content gone too.

Key Takeaways

• Delete your account from Settings → Advanced → "Delete Account" on the web, or through the iOS and Android apps via Settings.
• Reddit has no deactivation or pause option — full deletion is the only way to close an account, and Reddit's own confirmation checkbox states that "deleted accounts aren't recoverable."
• Deletion is effectively immediate and irreversible — there is no documented log-back-in-to-cancel window. Reddit says the backend removal/anonymization process commences within 90 days.
• Your posts and comments are NOT deleted. They remain publicly visible with the author shown as "[deleted]" — if you want the content itself gone, you must delete each post and comment manually *before* deleting the account.
• Your username is permanently retired — per Reddit's official help documentation, it can never be reused by you or anyone else.

No Deactivation — Deletion Is the Only Option

Unlike Facebook, Instagram, or X, Reddit offers no temporary deactivation state. There is no way to hide your account for a while and come back. The only account-closure path is permanent deletion, and Reddit is explicit that it cannot be undone.

Important: Delete Your Content First (If You Want It Gone)

This is the single biggest thing people get wrong about Reddit deletion. Deleting your account disassociates your posts and comments from your username — it does not remove them. Your years of comments stay fully readable, attributed to "[deleted]."

If you want the content itself removed:

1. Go through your post and comment history and delete items individually, before deleting the account.
2. Only after your content is cleaned up should you delete the account itself.

How to Permanently Delete Your Reddit Account

Step 1: Delete individual posts and comments first (optional but usually the point)

As above — account deletion alone leaves all your content publicly visible as "[deleted]."

Step 2: Hand off any moderator roles

If you moderate a subreddit, transfer moderator permissions to another user first. Nothing blocks you from deleting while you're a mod, but you can leave a community unmoderated.

Step 3: Cancel Reddit Premium if you have it

Deleting your account does not automatically cancel a Reddit Premium subscription. Cancel it separately first (through Reddit, or through the app store you subscribed on) or you risk continued billing.

Step 4: Go to Settings → Advanced → Delete Account

On the web, open your Account Settings, scroll to the Advanced section, and click Delete Account. In the iOS or Android app, the option is in Settings. Per Reddit's official help page, deletion is available on the web and through both native mobile apps.

Step 5: Confirm with your password

Check the box acknowledging that "deleted accounts aren't recoverable," enter your password, and click Delete. If your account was created with a phone number and has no password, Reddit sends a 6-digit SMS code to confirm instead.

What Happens to Your Data

Immediately: Your profile becomes inaccessible, your username shows as "[deleted]" on your old posts and comments, and you can no longer log in. There is no recovery flow.

Within 90 days: Reddit states that a deletion process "commences within 90 days" to remove or anonymize your account data from its servers. This is a backend purge window — not a recovery window.

What stays up: Every post and comment you didn't manually delete remains publicly visible and searchable, attributed to "[deleted]."

Your username: Permanently retired. Per Reddit's official documentation, a deleted account's username can never be re-registered — by you or anyone else.

Why Deleting Reddit Doesn't Remove You From the Internet

Even a fully cleaned-up Reddit exit doesn't touch the copies that already left the platform: Reddit threads are heavily scraped, quoted, and archived by third-party sites, and anything personal you ever posted may already be indexed elsewhere. And none of this affects data broker profiles built from entirely different sources — your name, address, and phone number on people-search sites have nothing to do with Reddit.

See the complete data broker opt-out guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my Reddit account delete my posts and comments?

No. Your posts and comments remain publicly visible on Reddit, with the author shown as "[deleted]." If you want the content itself removed, you must delete each post and comment manually before deleting your account.

Can I recover my Reddit account after deleting it?

No. Reddit's own confirmation checkbox states that deleted accounts aren't recoverable, and there is no documented grace period during which logging back in cancels the deletion.

Can someone else take my Reddit username after I delete my account?

No. Per Reddit's official help documentation, a deleted account's username is permanently retired and can never be reused — by you or by anyone else.

Does Reddit have a deactivation option?

No. Unlike most major platforms, Reddit offers no temporary deactivation or pause state. Permanent deletion is the only way to close an account.

Does deleting my Reddit account cancel Reddit Premium?

No. A Reddit Premium subscription must be canceled separately before you delete the account, or you risk continued billing through Reddit or your app store.

Related Guides

• How to Delete Your Twitter/X Account
• How to Delete Your Facebook Account
• How to Remove Your Name from Google Search
• Complete Data Broker Opt-Out Guide