How to delete your Mastodon account
Mastodon is a decentralized open-source social network in the ActivityPub fediverse — your account lives on a specific 'instance' (server) run by an individual or organization, not by Mastodon itself. Each instance stores your posts (toots), boosts, follows, DMs, and media uploads locally. Because Mastodon federates, copies of your public posts also live on every server that ever subscribed to you. Deletion removes the source but federated copies can linger.
Delete your Mastodon account, step by step
- 1Log in to your Mastodon instance on the web (e.g., mastodon.social, mas.to, hachyderm.io)
- 2Click 'Preferences' (gear icon in the right column)
- 3Open 'Account' in the left sidebar
- 4Scroll to the bottom and click 'Delete account'
- 5Type your password (and 2FA code if enabled)
- 6Click 'Delete account'
- 7Your instance sends 'tombstone' delete signals to every server that has copies of your posts
What actually happens when you delete
Gets removed
- ✓Your username, display name, bio, avatar, and header
- ✓All toots (posts), boosts, and replies on your home instance
- ✓Media uploads (images, videos, audio) stored on your home instance
- ✓Followers, following, bookmarks, and favourites lists
- ✓Direct messages from your side (recipients keep their copy)
Stays behind
- ✗Federated copies of your public posts on OTHER instances (Delete signals are best-effort)
- ✗Posts cached by search engines like Google or by fediverse archivers
- ✗DMs persist in the inboxes of users on other servers
- ✗Records your home instance admin keeps for moderation / abuse history
- ✗Boosts and replies others made to your posts (the content remains on their accounts)
Before you delete
Because Mastodon is federated, deletion is a best-effort process. Your home instance sends 'Delete' activities to every server that ever received one of your posts, asking them to remove their cached copy. Not every server respects these signals, and some don't process them quickly. Public posts may persist on third-party servers or in search indexers like the Wayback Machine. Use the Migrate option BEFORE deletion if you want to bring your followers to a new instance.
Download your data from Mastodon first
Most platforms only honor a data-export request while the account is still active. Do this before you delete.
- 1Open Preferences > 'Import and export' > 'Data export'
- 2Click 'CSV' next to each list you want (Follows, Lists, Blocks, Mutes, Bookmarks, Domain blocks)
- 3For your archive (all posts and media), click 'Request your archive' — generated every 7 days max
- 4Download arrives via the same page; link is valid for 7 days
Want to take a break instead? Deactivate
Deactivation hides your profile without permanently destroying it. Logging back in restores everything.
- 1Open Preferences > 'Account'
- 2Toggle 'Move to a different account' (Migrate) — this signals followers to refollow you elsewhere
- 3Use 'Hide media without a content warning' and 'Require approval to follow' to lock the account down before deletion
If deletion fails — or you live in the EU, UK, or California
You have a legal right to request erasure of your personal data under GDPR (EU/UK) and CCPA (California). Use these official channels if the self-service flow doesn't work.
Mastodon deletion FAQs
Why do my Mastodon posts still show up on other servers after I delete?+
Mastodon is federated. When you delete, your home instance broadcasts 'Delete' signals to every server that ever received your posts. Most servers honor it, but some don't process the signal quickly and a few don't honor it at all. Public posts that got archived by search engines or fediverse archive bots are also outside your home instance's control.
Can I move my Mastodon account to a different instance instead of deleting?+
Yes — that's the migrate flow. Set 'Move to a different account' in your old instance's Account settings, complete the matching setup on your new instance, and your followers are notified to refollow you automatically. Posts do not move (they stay where they were originally posted) but your social graph does.
What happens if I delete my Mastodon account and try to come back later?+
Usernames on most instances are NOT released after deletion (to prevent impersonation). You can sign up with a different handle, or move to another instance entirely. Some instance admins will manually free a username on request if you control the verified email.
How do I delete my DMs before deleting my Mastodon account?+
Mastodon has limited bulk-DM tools. Either delete each conversation manually via the Direct messages timeline, or use a third-party Mastodon client like Tusky or Elk to walk through conversations faster. DMs in recipients' inboxes on other servers can't be retracted.
Will the instance admin keep records about me after I delete?+
Most instance admins retain a minimal record of usernames and moderation history (e.g., bans, reports) to prevent ban evasion. This is at the admin's discretion. EU users can file a GDPR erasure request directly with the instance's contact email.
Does deleting my Mastodon account also remove me from Threads or Bluesky?+
No. Threads (Meta) and Bluesky are separate networks with their own accounts. Threads has partial ActivityPub federation but Mastodon deletion only removes the Mastodon side.
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