How to delete your Reddit account
Reddit is a publicly traded social platform with around 100 million daily active users across hundreds of thousands of communities. Reddit keeps every post and comment you've ever made by default — even after you delete your account — so the deletion process alone leaves a permanent trail unless you wipe your content first.
Delete your Reddit account, step by step
- 1Log in to reddit.com on a desktop browser (deletion is hidden on the mobile app)
- 2Click your avatar in the top-right > 'User Settings' > 'Account'
- 3Scroll to the very bottom and click 'Delete Account'
- 4Re-enter your username and password
- 5Optionally select a reason and add a note
- 6Check the confirmation box and click 'Delete'
- 7You're logged out immediately and the username is gone
What actually happens when you delete
Gets removed
- ✓Your username (becomes available to others after a cooldown period)
- ✓Your profile, avatar, bio, and karma score
- ✓Saved posts, hidden posts, and friend lists
- ✓Subreddit subscriptions and moderator status
- ✓Reddit Premium / coins balance (cancel separately)
Stays behind
- ✗Every post and comment you ever submitted, attributed to '[deleted]'
- ✗Images you uploaded to Reddit's CDN (i.redd.it) remain hosted
- ✗Private messages remain in recipients' inboxes
- ✗Mod logs on subreddits where you were a moderator
- ✗Reddit's internal logs for safety, billing, and legal purposes
Before you delete
Reddit does NOT delete your posts and comments when you delete your account. They remain forever, attributed to '[deleted]'. If you want your content gone, run a bulk-deletion tool such as Shreddit, PowerDeleteSuite, or Nuke Reddit History against your account BEFORE you delete it. Once the account is gone you lose access to your own content and cannot remove it.
Download your data from Reddit first
Most platforms only honor a data-export request while the account is still active. Do this before you delete.
- 1Go to reddit.com/settings/data-request
- 2Select the time range (last 30 days, last 365 days, or 'Lifetime')
- 3Click 'Submit request'
- 4You'll get an email when the archive is ready, typically within 30 days
- 5Download the ZIP from the link in the email
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.
Reddit deletion FAQs
Does deleting my Reddit account delete my posts and comments?+
No. This is the single most misunderstood thing about Reddit deletion. Posts and comments stay forever, attributed to '[deleted]'. If you want the content gone, use a tool like Shreddit or PowerDeleteSuite to overwrite-and-delete every post and comment BEFORE you delete the account.
Can someone take over my username after I delete my Reddit account?+
Yes. Reddit makes deleted usernames available again after a cooldown. Anyone can claim it, and any pre-existing comments still attributed to that name on the site will NOT transfer to them — they remain '[deleted]'.
How do I bulk-delete all my Reddit comments before deleting my account?+
Use a browser-based tool that walks your comment history and edits then deletes each item via Reddit's API. The most-used options are Shreddit (Python), PowerDeleteSuite (browser script), and Nuke Reddit History (Chrome extension). Run them before account deletion, double-check a sample, then delete the account.
Can I recover a deleted Reddit account?+
No. Reddit account deletion is immediate and irreversible. There is no grace period and Reddit support cannot restore it.
Will Reddit Premium and my coins be refunded?+
No. Any Reddit Premium time remaining and any unspent coins are forfeited at account deletion. Cancel Premium before deleting if you don't want to lose remaining time on a subscription you can't get a refund for.
What about messages I sent through Reddit chat?+
Direct messages and chat messages remain in the recipient's inbox. Reddit does not retract them on deletion. If a message is sensitive, ask the recipient to delete it before you close the account.
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