Though it lacks the carefully-curated graphics and clever music videos that drive visits to other social media channels, Reddit consistently ranks as one of the world’s most popular websites, with more than 430 million active monthly users.
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Founded in 2005, Reddit is a vast conglomeration of discussion forums known as “Subreddits,” where users with overlapping interests log on to discuss an endless variety of topics, from the culturally relevant (r/nfl, the Subreddit for fans of the National Football League) to the obscure (r/thomasthedankengine, where users create remixes using modern hip-hop tracks and the theme song to the children’s show “Thomas the Tank Engine”).
Instead of a mysterious algorithm determining which posts users will see first, Reddit users contribute to post rankings by clicking on an arrow next to a post or reply: “Upvotes” increase the visibility of a comment, while “downvotes” knock it down the Subreddit, forcing users to scroll to see it. Volunteer moderators maintain order in these otherwise freewheeling online groups, and Reddit administrators oversee the work of the moderators and the function of the site as a whole.
Like other social platforms, Reddit has developed its own language of acronyms, with the most common being “AMA,” or “Ask Me Anything.”
AMA threads feature well-known figures like politicians, musicians, and other celebrities, in which the person agrees to candidly answer questions submitted by Reddit users.
Compared to other social sites, Reddit allows users to remain relatively anonymous. Though you are required to provide a valid email address when you create an account, you can choose a username that’s virtually impossible to trace back to you personally, and there’s nowhere to upload a profile picture or other identifying information.
Still, if you’re trying to reduce or eliminate your online presence in the new year, you may be wondering how to delete your Reddit account and all traces of your prior activity there. If that’s the case, the following tips will help you accomplish your goal.
Deleting Your Account is Permanent—But Your Comments Will Live On
The first thing you should know before you move forward is that deleting your Reddit account is a permanent action. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, Reddit does not offer users the option to temporarily deactivate their accounts and later reinstate them. Once you deactivate, you will no longer have access to your account, but doing so will not automatically erase your past posts and comments.
They will still exist on the site, although they will no longer have your username attached to them. (More on getting rid of your old posts in a bit.) So make sure you’re absolutely certain in your decision to delete your account, because there’s no changing your mind later.
Deleting Your Past Activity: A Time-Consuming and Tedious Process
If you want to completely eliminate all traces of your activity on Reddit, you will need to click “delete” on each post, comment, and direct message individually, which could be a considerable endeavor depending on how long you have been a Reddit user and how active you were on the site. However, there are a few shortcuts that can help streamline the process.
- Log into your Reddit account and click on the avatar in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select “My Profile” from the menu. Alternatively, on desktop, click on your profile name in the top right of the menu.
- Click on “Posts,” which will bring up a list of all posts you have made.
- Click on the post you want to delete and then click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Under the menu that pops up, select “Delete Post.”
- Repeat this action with all posts, then follow the same instructions for the “Comments” tab, where all of your past comments and replies to other users’ posts will be aggregated.
How To Delete Your Reddit Account Permanently
Once you’ve checked to ensure that you have successfully deleted any posts and comments that you wish to remove from the site, you’re ready to deactivate your Reddit account. Though you can delete posts and comments from the Reddit app or mobile browser, you’ll need to log into your account from your computer’s web browser in order to delete it.
- Once you’ve logged into your Reddit account on a computer, click on the avatar at the top of the page.
- Select “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- Click “Deactivate Account.” Alternatively, you can click this link.
- If you used your Google account or Apple ID to create your Reddit account, be sure to scroll down to the “Connected Accounts” section and click “Disconnect” next to the external account you used to sign up.
- To confirm your account deactivation, you will need to enter your Reddit password. If you don’t have a password, you’ll be asked to create one.
Deleting Your Reddit Account: Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts on Deleting Your Reddit Account
If you’re serious about reining in your digital presence and shoring up online security, deleting your accounts on Reddit and other social sites is a must. Each online account represents a point of vulnerability to hackers, identity thieves, online harassment, data breaches and other potentially catastrophic events.
Deleting your Reddit account—and the posts associated with it—may take some time and effort, but it’s worth the peace of mind you’ll gain knowing that you’ve reduced your risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime.