Reddit is one of the largest and most renowned social platforms that has managed to grasp around 52+ million users who are active almost daily. However, there are many users who have raised a few concerns regarding Reddit’s security and would like to leave all ties with the platform. This guide will show you the best ways on how to delete Reddit account permanently, the right way.
How to delete your Reddit account permanently
Before you proceed with this tutorial on how to delete a Reddit account, you must first understand all that you’re about to give up, especially if you’ve created a large presence on the service. The thing about deleting a Reddit account means that there is no going back on your decision. Once you’ve deleted the account, everything will be wiped out, and you will not be able to sign back in. Make sure you’re absolutely 100% sure on it and then move on with the tutorial.
Here’s how you can get started:
- Sign in to your account on your laptop or desktop.
- Click on your profile on the top-right corner, and then click on “User settings.”
- You will come across another list of settings. Scroll to the bottom and click on “Deactivate Account.”
- You will be prompted by a message that will ask you why you want to delete your account. Mention the reason, provide your username and password, and then click on “I understand that deactivated accounts are not recoverable.”
- To proceed and finalize it, click on “Deactivate.”
- Another pop-up window will appear, asking whether you’re sure about deactivating your Reddit account. Click on “Deactivate.”
- You’re done! You have now successfully deleted your Reddit account!
Another thing to note, even after you’ve deleted your Reddit account, your comments, questions, and other information is still going to be visible or present on the platform. Deleting your Reddit account doesn’t get rid of the data, and due to security reasons, you should clear everything before proceeding with this tutorial. Take a look below to learn how.
Why should you delete comments, posts, questions on Reddit?
Just because you have deleted your Reddit account doesn’t mean you’re completely out of the clear. With the constant rise in cybercrimes, users on every platform, including Reddit, need to be extra careful of the kind of information they put online. You will find all sorts of threats like phishing scams, malware, identity theft, and more that could put all your data and more in harm’s way.
If you’re thinking of deleting or deactivating your Reddit account, it doesn’t matter if you’ve left the service. All that you managed to get online through your Reddit account won’t be deleted. For instance, let’s say you managed to put some sensitive information like your full name, where you live, or your zip code attached to a Reddit post. Any hacker or perpetrator can use that information even if you’ve filed for account deletion.
You could ask a simple question like “What is the best VPN for the USA” and might even add other information like “My name is Henry Ferguson, and I live in the UK in so and so street, and would like to access the US Netflix library.” Not saying that this is commonly done, but sometimes we put things online without actually thinking about the consequences.
Because of circumstances like this, it’s always best to consider deleting comments, posts, questions, and other information before you delete your Reddit account. Once you delete your account, you can’t sign back in.
How to delete posts from Reddit
- Go to the Reddit website, and sign in to your account
- Once that’s done, click on your profile icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Go through all your comments or posts that you’d like to delete, by clicking on the “…” button. Now, a list of options will appear.
- Click on “Delete” and you’re done!
Now that this is out of the way, you can now continue to delete Reddit account.
Why do users want to delete their Reddit account?
There’s no such one answer to this because the reasons always vary. The simple reason for users wanting to delete their Reddit accounts are because they need a break from media, are tired of the platform or don’t like being notified all the time.
The more sensitive reason to delete a Reddit account is around cybersecurity issues. We know that services like Facebook, Instagram, and others often monitor and log user data. The same such case took place on Reddit now that they’ve announced having used API tracking technology to track, monitor, and log all user information.
Yes, you could always consider using a Reddit VPN to help keep things secure, but, if that’s not within your interest, you could opt for deleting your Reddit account. The tutorial above will help you do just that without any hassle. If, however, you’re not interested in investing in a VPN, there are top-grade VPNs to use that offer free trials. For starters, you could use the ExpressVPN free trial or the Surfshark free trial to use Reddit.
Why can’t I delete my Reddit account?
Some users have complained of not being able to delete their Reddit accounts no matter if they followed the tutorial or not. So, if you’re trying to delete your Reddit account and get the message that says “Something went wrong deactivating your account try again,” don’t panic, the solution is quite simple. Try removing or deleting your cache & cookies or clear your browser history. Then, after that, go to “https://old.reddit.com/prefs/deactivate/”. If this method still doesn’t work for you, contact the admin support at “https://old.reddit.com/contact/”.
To conclude
Now that we’ve come towards the end of this guide, you now know how to delete Reddit account. Just in case you’re not ready to delete the account, always use a VPN or extra security protection. This is especially necessary since the platform logs user data! Always better to remain secure in every case!
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