How to delete my Twitter account
PEOPLE wishing to wave goodbye to Twitter can delete their profile in a matter of minutes.
It's an easy process - but how do you go about it?
How do I delete my Twitter account?
Before your Twitter account can be permanently deleted, it has to be deactivated.
To do this, simply sign into your account and click on the three-dotted-button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
Then click on the “Settings and privacy” tab and choose Deactivate account.
If you are using a mobile phone, the button has three little lines on it and is located in the top left-hand corner.
For mobile phone users, you will need to click on the Account tab before you can hit deactivate.
Once you have a read through the information, confirm you want to deactivate your profile and enter your password.
Twitter will ask you one last time whether you want to proceed with deactivation.
In theory, once you have given the green light, your profile will disappear from the Twitter-sphere.
This however, does not mean it is lost and gone forever.
It takes Twitter 30 days to start the permanent removal process, which in turn takes about a week.
In case your tweets were really that good and you wanted to keep them, then its best to ask the company for your archive.
Otherwise there’s no getting them back after the thirty days are up.
Your profile and tweets might still appear on search engines like Google, even though your account has been deactivated.
Not to worry - if you click on them, you will be met with an error page and they will eventually disappear.
Also, once you have deactivated your account, you will not be able to use the same email address to create a new one.
If that’s the plan, make sure you create a brand new profile beforehand.
Even once your account has been wiped from the face of the earth, some of your tweets may be saved in what’s known as an archive.
The US government archived tweets until four years ago, when the programme was abandoned.
Private companies also record tweets, but unless you are Twitter-famous or exceptionally provocative, you don’t need to fret.
Can I reactivate my Twitter account?
Once you have hit the deactivate button, you have 30 days to change your mind.
After a couple of days, if you want Twitter back in your life, simply log in to your profile and confirm you wish to restore your old account.
Beware - once the thirty days are up, there’s no going back and your account will be beyond restore.
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When logging back in, you should find your account exactly the way you left it.
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It sometimes takes 24 hours for Twitter to restore followers, so don’t panic if your numbers are looking a little low.
And if they are not restored after a few days, then it’s time to contact Twitter support.