Whether you need a break or want to leave Discord, the platform offers the option to disable your account temporarily or permanently delete it. Deciding between deleting or disabling your account can be confusing, especially if you’re unsure about the consequences.
Will people know that you’ve disabled or deleted your account? What data will be lost and what will remain? What will happen to your Discord Nitro subscription? We will explore everything that happens when you disable or delete your Discord account, helping you make an informed decision.
Table of Contents
Disabling Your Discord Account
Disabling your Discord account is like putting it on pause. Here’s what you need to know:
- Can you get your account back: Yes, you can reactivate your account at any time by logging back in with your credentials. Your account settings, friends, messages, and server memberships will remain intact during deactivation.
- Will I lose anything after reactivating the account: No, everything will be back, including your friends, messages, servers, etc. You will not lose anything.
- What people can see on your profile: People can see your profile picture, username, display name, bio, badges, connected accounts, mutual friends and servers, and your role on mutual servers. They can see everything similar to when your account is active. Also, your status will be set to offline, just like when you logged out.
- What happens to your Discord friends and messages: Your friends or their messages will not be affected when you disable your account. They can still find you in their friend’s list and also check all your messages.
- What happens to the servers you are part of: You will still be part of all the servers you are currently participating in. Also, your role will not change. However, if you own a server, you need to delete the server or transfer the ownership of that server manually before disabling it.
- Will my friends know if I have disabled my account: No, they can only see the offline status on your account. Apart from that, there will be no difference at all.
- What happens to new friend requests: If someone sends a friend request when your account is disabled, you will still receive it, and the request will be waiting for your approval on your account.
- What happens to my Nitro subscription: Your Nitro subscription will continue working even if you have disabled your account. It also continues the subscription, so deactivating your account is advisable before disabling it.
- What’s the difference between logging out and disabling an account: There’s not much difference between both. When you disable it, it will log you out on all devices, and you need to transfer ownership of your servers beforehand. Except for that, everything is the same, and even your account status is shown as Offline.
If you want to take a break but don’t want to transfer ownership of your account, then you can consider logging out of the Discord account on all devices with a simple setting.
Deleting Your Discord Account
Deleting your Discord account is a permanent action. Here’s what happens:
- Can you get your account back: No, once your account is deleted, you cannot get your account back. But you have a 14-day grace period to change your mind. Before the end of 14 days, you can log in again by just clicking the Restore account option.
- Can I retrieve my data after deleting my account: Once the 14 days are completed and your account is completely deleted, you cannot get any data from your account. Consider taking a backup of what you need before deleting the account.
- What people can see on your profile: There’s no profile anymore. All people can see is the Deleted_user tag on top of your messages. People can check your profile for 14 days once it is deleted.
- What happens to your Discord friends and messages: You will be unfriended by your friends. However, they can still access your messages under the deleted_user tag.
- What happens to the servers you are part of: You will be automatically removed from all the servers you are part of. Similar to DMs, people can check your messages under the Deleted_user username.
- Will my friends know if I have deleted my account: Yes, they can see that you are not in their friend’s list and your chat is categorized as deleted_user.
- What happens to my Nitro subscription: You cannot delete your account unless you unsubscribe to your Discord Nitro subscription. So you don’t have to worry about it.
- Can I create a new account with the same email and username: yeah, you can create a new account with the same email and username after 14 days. However, you must choose a different username if someone else takes it after your account deletion.
Difference Between Disabling and Deleting Discord Account
| Feature | Disabling Account | Deleting Account |
|---|---|---|
| Account Recovery | Can be reactivated anytime by logging in. | Cannot be recovered after 14 days grace period. |
| Data Loss | No data loss; all settings, friends, messages, and servers remain intact. | Permanent data loss after 14 days; backup needed before deletion. |
| Profile Visibility | Profile visible with status set to offline. | No profile; messages show as Deleted_user. |
| Impact on Friends & Messages | Friends and messages remain unaffected. | Unfriended by friends; messages show under Deleted_user tag. |
| Server Participation | Still part of servers; server ownership must be transferred before disabling. | Automatically removed from servers; messages remain under Deleted_user tag. |
| Friend Requests | New friend requests are received and can be approved upon reactivation. | Cannot receive friend requests. |
| Nitro Subscription | Continues to function; advisable to deactivate subscription before disabling. | Must unsubscribe before deletion; cannot delete account otherwise. |
| Notification to Friends | Friends see offline status, no other indication. | Friends can see account removal and messages as Deleted_user. |
| Reusing Email & Username | Not applicable; account can be reactivated. | Can create a new account with the same email and username after 14 days if not taken by someone else. |
How to Disable or Delete Your Discord Account
Here’s what happens when you disable or delete your account, and how you can proceed forward if you want to.
Before disabling there are a few requirements as mentioned above:
- You need to delete or transfer ownership of your server if you are the admin.
- Unsubscribe to Discord Nitro (Only to delete the account).
To disable or delete, open the Discord app or on web, then click on the cog icon beside the username to open Settings. Under My Account, select the Disable or Delete account option according to your need. Finally, enter your Discord password for confirmation.
On mobile, open the Discord app, tap on the profile icon in the bottom bar, and then select the cog icon at the top to open Settings. Select the Account option and then choose Disable account or Delete account according to your need. Finally, enter your Discord account password for confirmation.
Think Before You Delete
Choosing to disable or delete your Discord account depends on your circumstances. Disabling is a good option if you need a break but plan to return, while deleting is for those who want to permanently leave Discord. Make sure to weigh the pros and cons before making your decision, and take any necessary steps like transferring server ownership or canceling subscriptions. Understanding these actions will help ensure you make the best choice for your needs.
