How to Delete Your Telegram Account If You Lost Your Password and Can’t Log In

Alright, so if you landed here, you’re probably locked out of your Telegram account and trying to figure out how to delete it. Maybe you forgot your password. Maybe you don’t have access to your phone number anymore. Either way, you just want the account gone.

Here’s the truth. You cannot delete a Telegram account if you can’t log in. There’s no support form to submit, no password reset link, and no way to ask Telegram to do it for you. If you don’t have access to the app or your phone number, the account stays put.

The only way it eventually disappears is through Telegram’s auto delete system, which removes inactive accounts after a set amount of time. By default, that’s six months.

Why Telegram Doesn’t Let You Delete Without Logging In

At this point you might be wondering why Telegram makes it so hard. The reason is privacy and security. They only let an account be deleted if you can prove it really belongs to you.

That proof comes down to two things:

Logging in with your phone number
Entering your two step verification password if you set one

And that is it.

There is no backup email. There are no recovery questions. Support staff will not override the system. Telegram designed it this way to stop anyone from pretending to be you and wiping out your account.

So what happens if you lose your login details or phone number? Let’s go through the scenarios.

What Happens If You Lose Your Password or Phone Number

If you lose access, the outcome depends on your situation.

Forgot your password but still have your phone number
You can log back in with the SMS code. If you set up a recovery email, you may also be able to reset your two step verification password.
Lost your phone number
Without the number, you cannot get the login code. Even if you remember your password, you are locked out completely.
Lost both your password and your phone number
The account is no longer accessible. You cannot log in and you cannot delete it yourself.

When this happens, the only option left is to wait for Telegram’s auto delete system to take care of it. And that is what we will look at next.

How Telegram Auto Deletes Inactive Accounts

If you are locked out, your account will not sit there forever. Telegram has an automatic system that clears inactive accounts after a set amount of time.

Here is how it works:

By default, Telegram deletes accounts after six months with no activity
Activity means logging in or opening the app
When the timer runs out, all messages, media, and contacts are erased
Your profile disappears from your friends’ contact lists

If you still had access before, you could change this period in the settings to one month, three months, or one year. But if you cannot log in, the timer stays at the default six months.

So if you are locked out, this is what eventually removes the account.

Can Telegram Support Help You?

A lot of people assume support can step in, but that is not how Telegram works. Support cannot delete your account, reset your password, or give you another way in.

What they do not offer:

Email recovery
Security questions
Manual resets through staff

If you have lost your phone number or cannot log in through the app, support will not override the system.

So what can you actually do? That is what we will cover next.

What You Can Actually Do Now

If you cannot log in, your options are limited. Still, there are a few things worth trying before giving up completely.

Wait for the account to auto delete after six months of no activity
If you still own the phone number, try logging in again to get the SMS code
If you added a recovery email for two step verification, use it to reset your password
If you lost the phone number completely, the account is gone for you and waiting is the only option

Telegram built this system on purpose. It may feel strict, but it is their way of keeping accounts private and safe from unauthorized access.

Next, let’s wrap this up with the bottom line.

The Bottom Line

If you cannot log in, there is no way to delete your Telegram account yourself. The only removal method is Telegram’s auto delete system, which clears inactive accounts after six months by default.

It may not be the answer you wanted, but if you are locked out, waiting is the only option.