Have you been trying unsuccessfully to delete your TikTok account? No matter how many times you try, it just won’t fully go away?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many users struggle to get their TikTok accounts to properly delete, even after repeated attempts.
If you’ve tried deleting your TikTok account but it’s still there, don’t worry – this guide will walk you through the top reasons why your TikTok account won’t delete and provide step-by-step solutions to fix the problem.
Why Your TikTok Account Won’t Delete
There are a few main reasons why your TikTok account might not be deleting properly:
You Have an Active Subscription
If you currently have an active TikTok subscription, such as TikTok LIVE subscription or TikTok Fans subscription, your account cannot be deleted until the subscription expires or is cancelled.
TikTok wants to ensure subscribers can continue accessing the features they paid for, so it will not allow account deletion with active subscriptions. You’ll need to cancel any active subscription first before deleting your account.
Having an active subscription essentially puts a hold on your account deletion request. TikTok’s system will keep your account active specifically so you can continue using the subscription you paid for. This is done to ensure customers get the full value of any premium services purchased.
Until the subscription runs out or you manually cancel it, TikTok will preserve your account against deletion requests to let you keep accessing subscriber-only features.
Account Deletion Request is Still Processing
It can take up to 30 days for TikTok to fully delete an account after requesting deletion. This is because TikTok needs time to back up and remove all your data from its servers.
If it’s only been a few days or weeks since you requested account deletion, the process may still be going on in the background. Be patient and wait for the 30 day period to pass before trying other troubleshooting steps.
TikTok does not instantly delete accounts after receiving a deletion request. The process takes time since they likely have to backup and migrate your profile data, videos, comments, likes, etc. off their platform. Rushing this could risk permanent loss of your account info.
Allow several weeks after submitting the deletion request before worrying something went wrong. The status should update after the standard 30 day processing time.
You Logged Back In During the 30 Day Waiting Period
When you request TikTok account deletion, a 30 day waiting period starts before the account is permanently removed. However, if you log back into your account during this 30 day window, it cancels the account deletion request.
This is done to verify you still want the account deleted. But it means if you logged in even once after requesting deletion, you have to submit the request again and wait the full 30 days without logging in.
Logging back into your TikTok during the 30 day processing time essentially tells TikTok you changed your mind and want to keep the account active. So they will cancel the pending deletion request.
To successfully delete your account, you must avoid accessing it at all during those 30 days. Even a single login restarts the clock. Set a calendar reminder and refrain from logging in no matter what.
TikTok Encountered a Technical Error
In rare cases, a glitch or technical error on TikTok’s end could prevent the account deletion request from fully processing. This is an unlikely reason, but still possible.
If you’re certain it has been over 30 days since requesting deletion, and you did not log back in during that time, a technical error may be preventing account removal.
TikTok uses complex systems to manage user accounts and data. Like any technology, bugs can happen. If you followed all other steps correctly, an internal issue on their end could be stopping the account from being deleted.
Contact TikTok support if you suspect a technical failure is blocking the account removal after 30+ days. They can investigate and resolve these rare errors.
How to Fix TikTok Account Not Deleting
If your TikTok account will not delete due to any of the reasons above, take the following troubleshooting steps:
Cancel Any Active Subscriptions
If you have an active TikTok subscription, you’ll need to cancel it before being able to delete your account:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
- Tap on the 3 line menu icon in the top right corner.
- Choose “Manage account” then “Subscriptions”.
- Tap “Cancel Subscription” on any active subscription services.
- Confirm cancellation on the pop-up message.
Once any subscriptions are cancelled and expired, you’ll then be able to delete your TikTok account.
Be sure to double check your “Subscriptions” page to see if you have TikTok LIVE, TikTok Fans, or any other active premium services. These require manual cancellation by you, as they auto-renew by default.
Even free trial subscriptions will block your account from being deleted until cancelled. Take the time to deactivate all active subscriptions through your account settings before trying to delete again.
Wait 30 Days After Initial Deletion Request
If it’s been less than 30 days since you requested TikTok account deletion, simply wait out the remainder of the 30 day period:
- Mark your calendar for 30 days after your initial deletion request date.
- Avoid logging into your TikTok account at all during this time.
- After 30 days has passed, try requesting account deletion again.
This waiting period is mandatory so TikTok can fully remove your account and data. Stay patient for the full 30 days for the process to complete.
Do not try shortcuts like contacting TikTok support earlier to speed up the process – the 30 day policy is firm. Set a reminder on your calendar and refrain from accessing your TikTok until those 30 days are up.
30 days may seem excessive, but this gives TikTok sufficient time to back up and purge your account info without risk of data loss. Stay disciplined and wait it out.
Submit Account Deletion Request Again
If it’s been over 30 days since you requested TikTok account deletion, and you did not log in during that time, you’ll need to submit the deletion request again:
- Open the TikTok app and log into your account.
- Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
- Tap on the 3 line menu icon in the top right corner.
- Choose “Settings and privacy” then tap on “Account”.
- Tap on “Deactivate or Delete Account” then proceed to choose “Delete account permanently.
- Select the reason you are deleting your account.
- Tap “Continue” to submit your account deletion request again.
Be sure not to log back in this time! Wait the full 30 days without accessing your account. This will let the deletion process fully complete.
If your first account deletion request did not go through, repeat the process after 30+ days have passed. The second request should force TikTok to permanently remove your account.
Remember to not login to your TikTok again during the second 30 day waiting period. This will just cancel your new deletion request.
Contact TikTok Support
If you have waited the full 30 day period, submitted multiple deletion requests, and cancelled any subscriptions – and your TikTok account still will not delete – you should contact TikTok support:
- Open your profile, tap the 3-dot menu in the top right, and choose “Settings and privacy”.
- Swipe down and tap on “Report a problem.”
- Under the topics, choose “Account and profile.”
- Tap on “Manage account” and choose “Deleting an account.”
- Tap on the “no” icon on the “Deleting an account” screen to indicate your problem is not resolved. Again, tap on “Need more help?”
- Enter the issues you’re currently facing with deleting your TikTok account and tap on “Submit.”
TikTok support can further investigate and take manual action to remove your account if all troubleshooting from your end has not worked.
Reach out to TikTok support if you have diligently tried all other troubleshooting steps with no success. Provide as much detail as possible about the deletion issues and prior attempts you made.
Their technical team can dig into why your account persists against multiple deletion requests. They have the capability to manually override errors and force deletion if warranted.
Preventing TikTok Account Deletion Issues
To avoid running into issues deleting your TikTok account in the future, keep these tips in mind:
- Cancel any subscriptions or in-app purchases before requesting deletion.
- Don’t log into your account during the 30 day waiting period.
- If you need to use TikTok, create a new account for the 30 days.
- Mark your calendar and track the 30 day deletion timeline.
- Only use the official in-app deletion process. Avoid third-party deletion tools.
- Contact TikTok support sooner if your request gets stuck for over 30 days.
Following these best practices when deleting your TikTok account can help ensure the process completes successfully the first time.
Be proactive in cancelling any paid subscriptions, adhering to the 30 day policy, and using TikTok’s official account deletion workflow. This reduces chances of your request getting stuck or denied down the road.
Set calendar reminders so you don’t accidentally log in and restart the 30 day clock. And seek help sooner than later if your deletion still fails after 30+ days.
Closing Thoughts
Having trouble completely deleting your TikTok account can be frustrating. But in most cases, the issue can be fixed by following the right troubleshooting steps.
The most common solutions are cancelling any active subscriptions on your account, allowing the full 30 day deletion waiting period to elapse, and submitting an account deletion request again if necessary.
Rarely, you may need to escalate to TikTok support if technical issues on their end are preventing account removal after long periods of waiting.
Overall, be patient, avoid logging in during the 30 day window, and submit additional deletion requests if your first attempt did not work. This will eventually force TikTok to fully delete your stuck account.
With the right combination of troubleshooting techniques, you can overcome most TikTok account deletion issues. Just be persistent and utilize all options – including TikTok support if needed – to guarantee the removal of your unwanted account.
