How to delete your Medium account
Medium is a long-form blogging and publishing platform with a paid membership model. Medium stores every story you wrote (drafts and published), claps you gave, responses, highlights, follows, your custom domain mapping, and the read history that powers personalized recommendations. If you publish under custom publications, deleting your user account also affects your status as an editor/writer there.
Delete your Medium account, step by step
- 1Log in to medium.com
- 2Click your avatar > 'Settings'
- 3Open the 'Security and apps' tab
- 4Scroll to 'Delete account' at the bottom
- 5Click 'Delete account'
- 6Type your email or username to confirm
- 7Click 'Confirm deletion' — account and stories are removed immediately
What actually happens when you delete
Gets removed
- ✓Your username, display name, bio, avatar, and profile page
- ✓Every story you wrote (published, unlisted, and drafts)
- ✓Responses, highlights, and claps you gave
- ✓Followers, following list, and reading list
- ✓Stripe-connected payout setup for Partner Program earnings
Stays behind
- ✗Stories you published in a Publication may stay (depending on the publication's policy)
- ✗Cached stories on Google and the Internet Archive linger for weeks
- ✗External links and shares of your stories on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
- ✗Records Medium retains for Partner Program tax reporting and billing
- ✗Membership revenue that was already distributed to writers from your reads
Before you delete
Deletion is IMMEDIATE — no grace period. Cancel a Medium membership BEFORE you delete (Settings > Manage Membership) or you may continue to be billed at the next cycle. If you write for a publication, your stories may either be removed entirely or transfer ownership to the publication editor — confirm with the editor first. Custom domains mapped to Medium need to be unmapped before deletion.
Download your data from Medium first
Most platforms only honor a data-export request while the account is still active. Do this before you delete.
- 1Open Settings > 'Security and apps'
- 2Scroll to 'Download your information'
- 3Click 'Download .zip'
- 4Medium prepares an archive of your stories, settings, and metadata
- 5Email arrives with the download link, typically within minutes
Want to take a break instead? Deactivate
Deactivation hides your profile without permanently destroying it. Logging back in restores everything.
- 1Medium doesn't expose a separate deactivation. To get close: set every published story to 'Unlisted' in Story Settings, remove your bio and avatar, and the profile becomes effectively dormant without permanent 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.
Medium deletion FAQs
Is Medium account deletion immediate?+
Yes. Medium does not offer a grace period — once you confirm, your stories, responses, and profile are removed right away. Run the data export FIRST so you don't lose your writing.
What happens to stories I published in a Publication?+
It depends on the Publication's policy. Some let editors retain stories under the Publication's brand after the original author deletes; others remove them along with the author. Coordinate with the editor before deletion if you care about the stories' fate.
Will deleting Medium cancel my membership subscription?+
Not automatically and reliably. Cancel your membership in Settings > Manage Membership BEFORE deleting the account so you don't get charged for the next cycle. App Store and Google Play memberships must be canceled through those stores.
Can I delete just one story without deleting my account?+
Yes. Open the story, click the '...' menu and choose 'Delete story'. You can also unlist a story (Story Settings > Make this story unlisted) so it becomes search-private without removal.
Will my custom domain still work after I delete?+
No. Custom domains mapped to Medium stop resolving once your account is deleted. Update your DNS records first if you want to point the domain to a new host with backups of your content.
What happens to Partner Program earnings I haven't withdrawn?+
Medium typically processes any pending payouts after deletion through your Stripe connection. Make sure your Stripe payout details are current and that your tax forms are complete before you delete or earnings can be stuck.
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