How to Delete Your ChatGPT Account (Step by Step)
To delete your ChatGPT account, sign in at ChatGPT, open Settings, select Account, then select Delete next to Delete account. Enter your account email or phone number, type DELETE to confirm, and select Permanently delete my account. Your account and data are removed within 30 days. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
How to delete your ChatGPT account
If you are wondering how to delete your ChatGPT account, the short answer is that you do it from Settings. Sign in, open your account menu, select Settings, then Account, and follow the Delete account prompts. The whole process takes a couple of minutes.
Deletion is permanent, so this guide also covers what to check first, how to export your chats, what happens to your data afterwards and what it all means for a paid subscription.
Before you delete your account, make these three checks
Deleting your account removes it for good, and a few things are easy to miss. Work through this short list first.
Export your data if you want a copy of your chats. Nothing is recoverable once the account is gone.
Cancel any subscription billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Deleting your ChatGPT account does not cancel those, and they keep charging until you cancel them yourself.
Check whether your email address is linked to an OpenAI Ads account. Deleting your ChatGPT account can lock you out of that Ads account, and active campaigns can keep serving and accruing charges. Pause campaigns and make sure another authorised user has access first.
If your goal is simply to stop paying rather than leave entirely, cancelling your subscription is enough. Your account drops back to the free plan, as we explain in our guide to ChatGPT plans.
How to download your ChatGPT data first
Your chat history is the one thing you can never get back after deletion, so export it if there is any chance you will want it later.
Sign in to ChatGPT on the web.
Open your account menu and select Settings.
Select Data controls.
Select Export data, then confirm the export.
Watch for an email from OpenAI with a download link. The file is only available for a short time, so download it and store it somewhere safe.
Self-service export is available on Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans. Accounts managed by an organisation, such as ChatGPT Business or Enterprise, need to ask their workspace owner.
How to delete your ChatGPT account on desktop
The web app is the quickest route. Here is every step:
Sign in to ChatGPT in your browser.
Open your account menu, usually your initials or profile picture, and select Settings.
Select Account.
Next to Delete account, select Delete.
Enter the email address or phone number linked to your account.
Type DELETE when prompted, confirming you understand the action is permanent.
Select Permanently delete my account.
How to delete your ChatGPT account on mobile
The iOS and Android apps follow the same path with slightly different menus.
Open the ChatGPT app and make sure you are signed in.
Open the sidebar menu.
Tap your profile icon to open Settings.
Select Account.
Tap Delete account, then enter your account email address or phone number and type DELETE to confirm.
Deleting from one device removes the account everywhere, including the web app and any other device you are signed in on.
Cannot sign in? Use the OpenAI Privacy Portal
If you have lost access to your account, you can still request deletion.
Go to privacy.openai.com.
Select Make a Privacy Request.
Select I have a consumer ChatGPT account.
Select Delete my ChatGPT account, then follow the verification steps.
You need to verify the email address or phone number already linked to the account. If you cannot access either, contact OpenAI Support for an ownership review. Not sure whether your access is really gone? Our guide to signing in to ChatGPT covers the common login problems.
Deleting vs deactivating your ChatGPT account
ChatGPT does not have a deactivate option. You either keep your account or delete it permanently. A deactivated account is something OpenAI does itself, usually over a policy or age verification issue, and it is not a choice you can make. When people say they want to deactivate ChatGPT, they usually mean one of three things:
Stop paying for ChatGPT Plus or Pro while keeping the account.
Remove specific conversations without touching the account.
Leave ChatGPT entirely and have their data deleted.
Only the last one needs account deletion. The table shows how the options compare.
If you just want a cleaner history, deleting or archiving individual chats from Settings keeps your account and subscription intact.
What happens to your data after you delete your account
OpenAI deletes your account data within 30 days, except for a limited set of data it must keep for legal or security reasons. Your chats, memories and personal settings all go with the account.
A few practical consequences are worth knowing. A deleted account cannot be reactivated. You can create a new account with the same email address after 30 days. Phone numbers are usually released after 30 days too, but deleting an account does not reset the limit that lets one phone number verify API keys on up to three accounts, which matters if you plan to use the OpenAI API later.
Deleting your account also cancels subscriptions billed directly by ChatGPT. Subscriptions billed through Apple or Google are untouched, which is why the earlier check matters.
Frequently asked questions
Is deleting my ChatGPT account the same as cancelling my subscription?
No. Cancelling your subscription moves you back to the free plan and keeps your account and chats. Deleting your account removes everything and also cancels subscriptions billed directly by ChatGPT. Subscriptions billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be cancelled separately either way.
Can I reactivate a deleted ChatGPT account?
No. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. You can create a brand new account with the same email address once 30 days have passed.
Can I reuse my email address or phone number?
Your email address can be used for a new account after 30 days. Phone numbers are usually released after 30 days too. One exception: deleting an account does not reset the limit that lets a phone number verify API keys on up to three accounts.
What happens to my chats and memories?
They are deleted along with your account, generally within 30 days, except for a limited set of data OpenAI must retain for legal or security reasons. Nothing is recoverable afterwards, which is why the data export step matters.
How long does deletion take?
The request completes in the app straight away and you lose access to ChatGPT and the API platform immediately. Your data is then deleted within 30 days.
I cannot access my email or phone number. Can I still delete my account?
Yes, but it needs an ownership review. Start at the Privacy Portal, and if you cannot verify the linked email address or phone number, contact OpenAI Support directly.
The bottom line
Deleting your ChatGPT account comes down to three moves. Export anything you want to keep, cancel any subscription billed through Apple or Google, then delete from Settings, Account. It is permanent, so if you only want a break, a smaller bill or a cleaner history, cancelling your subscription or clearing old chats does the job without losing your account.
