The Complete Guide on How to Delete Reddit Account

Have you ever felt that Reddit is taking over too much of your time? Or you want a fresh start and delete your old Reddit history. If so, how do I delete my Reddit account?

Deleting your Reddit account can feel daunting, especially if you’ve invested years into building up karma points and curating the perfect selection of niche subreddits. But sometimes, a clean break is necessary when an app becomes more of an addiction than a helpful tool.

I should know – I’ve deleted 3 Reddit accounts over the past decade when I sensed my usage was becoming unhealthy. It felt scary to leave behind thousands of karma points and beloved communities each time. But ultimately, it was the right decision to reclaim my productivity.

In this complete guide, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about how to delete Reddit account from the official website and mobile apps. We’ll also cover crucial decisions like:

• Should you delete post history before closing your account?
• What happens to your Reddit username after deletion?
• Can a deleted Reddit account be recovered?

Let’s dive into all your options for deleting your Reddit account.

How to Delete Reddit Account via the Website

Deleting your Reddit account via the official website is simple, though the option can be a bit hidden within your account settings.

Here is the step-by-step process to delete your Reddit account on the web:

• Log in and navigate to your User Settings
• Scroll down and click the “Deactivate Account” option
• Enter your login credentials on the verification popup
• Click the “Deactivate Account” button to confirm

And that’s it – your account will be closed immediately.

However, I recommend first deleting all posts and comment histories manually, which I’ll explain how to do later.

Deleting Your Reddit Account on Mobile

Don’t worry, mobile users; deleting your Reddit account via the iOS or Android apps is also straightforward:

• Tap your profile icon
• Access settings from the menu
• Choose “Deactivate Account” under the Support tab
• Confirm your credentials and desire to delete everything!

Just like on the desktop, remove your Reddit post history before deactivating your account.

Deleting Your Reddit Account on Mobile

Don’t worry, mobile users; deleting your Reddit account via the iOS or Android apps is also straightforward:

• Tap your profile icon
• Access settings from the menu
• Choose “Deactivate Account” under the Support tab
• Confirm your credentials and desire to delete everything!

Just like on the desktop, you should remove your Reddit post history before deactivating your account.

My recommendation is yes – take the time to delete your Reddit post history before closing your account.

Here’s why:

When you close your Reddit account, your username is essentially erased from the system. However, your posts and comments remain on Reddit’s servers.

The only change is your username on them switches to [deleted].

So unless you want years of personal opinions, conversations, and possibly embarrassing remarks floating around internet archives forever with your name removed… I recommend scrubbing your post history first.

How to Delete All Reddit Posts and Comments

Manually removing your entire Reddit post history will take patience, but it is worthwhile for protecting your online privacy after closing an account.

Here are a few methods to delete Reddit posts en masse:

• Do it manually. It is time-consuming but start by deleting your highest-voted posts and comments first. Those are most likely to show up in web searches.
• Use a browser extension. Browser add-ons like Nuke Reddit History can delete Reddit posts in bulk.
• Try a Reddit scrubber site. Services like Shreddit let you enter your credentials and will erase your post history. Use at your own risk.

I’d recommend manually deleting any extremely popular or identifiable posts/comments before utilizing any automation tools.

What Happens to Your Reddit Username After You Delete Your Account?

Once you deactivate your Reddit account, your unique username essentially ceases to exist on Reddit’s servers. However, all of your existing posts and comments will still show the username [deleted] where yours used to be.

Reddit does this to maintain the integrity of conversations versus having giant holes where deleted accounts are used to post.

So, while your exact username disappears, your post history will remain under the generic [deleted] username if you don’t manually remove everything first.

Can a Deleted Reddit Account Be Recovered?

According to Reddit’s account deletion policies, once your Reddit account is deactivated, it is gone forever, with no option for recovery.

However, some users report still being able to find traces of their old deleted Reddit accounts via Google searches, likely due to archived posts and comments.

So, for true peace of mind, make sure to manually delete all post history before closing your Reddit account. Otherwise, traces of your old username may still pop up here and there.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Ready to Delete Your Reddit Account?

After reading this guide, I hope you feel armed with the information needed to permanently delete your Reddit account while avoiding surprises down the road.

Remember – manually removing your post history first is an important step if you want to erase your online footprint. But the choice is ultimately yours based on your personal privacy concerns.

Now you know exactly how to delete a Reddit account via a website or mobile app. It’s surprisingly easy to do…the tough part is deciding whether the benefits of leaving Reddit outweigh quitting completely.

But if you’re positive a clean break from the never-ending scroll is right for you, I wish you well on your new journey beyond Reddit! There are plenty of fulfilling ways to spend time offline.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about permanently deleting your Reddit account. I’m happy to help!