# How to delete a Telegram account permanently The deletion page, self-destruction of idle accounts, what is lost and what to do beforehand. https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/delete-account Updated 2026-10-02 · 5 min read You delete a Telegram account on the official page [telegram.org/deactivate](https://telegram.org/deactivate), using your phone number and a confirmation code. It cannot be undone: your messages and contacts are removed, and any Stars left on the account are forfeited under Telegram's Stars terms. An account you simply stop using also deletes itself — by default after 18 months without a login. ## How to delete your Telegram account 1. Open [telegram.org/deactivate](https://telegram.org/deactivate) in a browser. It is an ordinary web page, so the steps are the same on Android, iPhone and desktop. 2. Enter the phone number of the account, in international format. 3. Enter the confirmation code. It arrives in your Telegram, in the verified "Telegram" service chat. Never tell the code to anyone. 4. Confirm the deletion. Telegram's privacy policy says it is confirmed through your Telegram account and cannot be undone. The page may send you on to my.telegram.org — that is Telegram's own site, and you sign in there with the same number and code. > **Important:** If you only want to step away from chats or hide your profile, you do not need to delete the account. Deleting wipes everything and starts you from zero. ## Self-destruction: when an idle account deletes itself Telegram deletes an inactive account together with its messages, media, contacts and everything else stored in the cloud. According to the FAQ and the privacy policy, the default is 18 months without coming online. You can change the period in Settings → Privacy, in the item about deleting your account when you are away (in the app it reads Delete My Account → If Away For). You may see claims that Telegram deletes accounts after "a week offline". Telegram names no such period: its FAQ and privacy policy give 18 months by default. ## What "Deleted Account" means in a chat A contact whose account no longer exists is shown as "Deleted Account" in the chat list and in the conversation. If that person signs up again with the same number, they appear as a new user — a separate conversation with none of the old history. ## What you lose when you delete the account - **Messages and contacts.** Telegram's FAQ says deletion removes them permanently. - **Groups and channels you created.** They are left without a creator, but their admins keep their rights. - **Stars on the balance.** The Telegram Stars terms: if you delete your account or lose access to it for any reason, the remaining Star balance is considered forfeit. - **History and gifts.** A new account on the same number starts empty — chats, contacts and groups do not come back. Telegram's public rules do not say what happens to the gifts of a deleted account, so do not count on keeping them. A deleted account cannot be restored — see [how to recover a Telegram account](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/recover-account). People who have your number saved in their contacts are notified when you sign up again. ## What to do before you delete 1. **Sell or spend your Stars.** Stars you bought are not paid out from a personal account — you can sell them. The Shiba Bank bot buys Stars from your Telegram account for USDT, and shows the rate before you sell. More in [how to withdraw Stars](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/withdraw-stars). 2. **Move unique (NFT) gifts.** They can be transferred to another person or moved to the TON blockchain — [how to transfer a gift](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/transfer-telegram-gift). Regular gifts cannot be transferred. 3. **Decide what happens to your groups and channels.** If you created them, they will have no creator afterwards — agree on the next steps with their admins. 4. **If you have Telegram Premium,** check the subscription: it can be cancelled in @PremiumBot with `/stop` or in your app store — [how to cancel Premium](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/cancel-telegram-premium). 5. **Save the chats and files you need.** There is no way to get them back later. [Sell Stars — Open the app](https://t.me/barboskich_stars_bot?startapp=site_ai_en_sell) ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I delete my Telegram account? Open telegram.org/deactivate, enter your phone number and the code Telegram sends you, and confirm. The page works in a browser, so it is the same on a phone and a computer. ### How do I delete a Telegram account on Android or iPhone? The same way: through telegram.org/deactivate in your phone's browser. That is the page Telegram's official FAQ points to. ### Can a deleted Telegram account be restored? No. Telegram's FAQ says deleting an account is irreversible. If you sign up again with the same number, you are a new user with no history, contacts or groups. ### Does Telegram delete accounts that are not used? Yes. By default an inactive account is deleted after 18 months without a login, along with everything stored in the cloud. The period can be changed in Settings. ### What happens to my Stars if I delete my account? The remaining balance is forfeit, according to the Telegram Stars terms. Sell your Stars first — the Shiba Bank bot buys them for USDT. ### What does "Deleted Account" mean on Telegram? It is how a contact is shown when their account has been deleted — by themselves or automatically after a long absence.