How to Delete Yahoo Account & Email Permanently in 2024

Yahoo can collect sensitive data through your account, including your search history. Whether you're using Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Finance, or Yahoo Sports, they’re all tied to your account and help create a digital footprint of your online habits.

Though Yahoo's services seem secure, the platform isn't immune to cyber threats. Past breaches raise concerns about the security of this data associated with your account, especially the dormant or seldom-used ones. If your Yahoo account isn't in use or has been compromised, deleting it can help safeguard your digital identity.

Luckily, the deletion process is straightforward. In this guide, I'll cover step-by-step instructions on deleting a Yahoo account, including a guide to do so without logging in. I'll also talk about how to reactivate a deleted account if you change your mind afterward.

How to Delete a Yahoo Account and Email

Deleting your Yahoo account means you automatically lose your Yahoo email address, among other data. Before you follow the steps in this guide, take a look at this list of important things to do prior to deleting your account permanently. That said, here is how to delete your Yahoo account on a computer or phone.

On Computer

1. Visit the Yahoo Account Termination Page and enter your Yahoo email address, followed by your password.
   You can also sign in with Google or AOL
2. Carefully read the terms and conditions, then click on Continue delete my account.
   Remember that you'll lose all subscriptions associated with your Yahoo account after deleting it
3. Re-enter your email address in the provided field and confirm by clicking Yes, delete this account.
   You have 30 days to reactivate your Yahoo account after submitting a deletion request

On Mobile (Android and iPhone/iPad)

1. Open the Yahoo app on your phone/tablet and tap on your profile image at the top.
2. Go to Settings > Manage Account Privacy > Privacy Dashboard.
   You'll be redirected to the Yahoo account termination page when deleting via the phone app
   
3. Sign in with your Yahoo account credentials.
4. On the privacy dashboard, scroll until you see Delete My Account. Tap it.
   Consider downloading your data before deleting your Yahoo account permanently
5. Read the T&Cs and then tap Continue delete my account.
6. On the next page, enter your email address and tap Yes, delete this account.
   The process of deleting a Yahoo account on phone is very similar to on a computer

How to Delete a Yahoo Email Account Without Logging In

If you have the premium Yahoo Plus plan, you can contact customer support to delete your account without logging in. This is useful if you don’t have the password and can’t recall answers to the account security questions, or your account has been compromised (with no access to your backup email). Proceed as follows to contact support and delete your account.

1. Visit Yahoo's Help Center and go to the 24/7 Support or Contact Us section.
   Only Yahoo Plus (premium) account users can contact support for assistance
2. Select the option to contact Yahoo support, including via a contact form, email, or phone number. Then, enter your Yahoo ID (your Yahoo email address). You can also click I forgot my Yahoo ID if you can’t remember the information.
   Enter your Yahoo email address as your Yahoo ID
3. Explain your situation clearly in the message, mentioning that you cannot log in to your account and need to delete it. Also, provide any necessary information to verify your identity. This may include previous passwords, security question answers, or details related to account usage.
4. Wait for a response from Yahoo's support team and follow any additional steps they provide.

If you’re not a Plus subscriber, you can instead recover your account’s username and password by visiting the Yahoo Sign-in Helper page and entering your Yahoo email address. Then, follow the instructions to verify your identity. This may involve answering security questions or using an alternative email or phone number associated with the account. Once you've regained access, follow the standard procedure for deleting your Yahoo account outlined previously.

What Happens When You Delete a Yahoo Account?

Deleting your Yahoo account results in permanent loss of all your associated data, including Yahoo Mail. You won’t be able to send or receive emails through the address, and all your stored emails and attachments will be deleted. Any personal settings, customizations, and account preferences are also removed. Your email address and username will be freed up for use by other customers too.

The deletion affects other Yahoo services where you may have data or content too. For instance, if you've used Yahoo Calendar, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, or Yahoo Fantasy, all your data within these platforms will be lost. You also can't use platforms like Yahoo Mail Pro even if your subscription is still active.

Third-party services linked to your Yahoo account, such as social media or online shopping, are also affected. Yahoo is paired with lots of services like Norton and Last Pass that you might lose access to if you delete your account. Remember to unlink your accounts and update your sign-in information on these services before going ahead. After the deletion (and expiry of the recovery grace period), it's impossible to get back your accounts or data.

What to Do Before You Delete Your Yahoo Account

To avoid losing information or contacts you might need later, here are some important things to do first:

• Download important data: Go to Yahoo's Get my data page to download and back up emails, contacts, documents, and pictures linked to your Yahoo account. You can also download activity data associated with your account and services. Simply hover over your profile (while signed in), click Manage your account > Privacy controls > Download My Data.
• Notify your contacts: Inform them about your decision to delete the account and provide other means they can use to reach you.
• Cancel subscriptions: Check for active subscriptions or services you manage through your Yahoo account to avoid being accidentally billed in the future.
• Update linked accounts: If your Yahoo email is still in use on any online accounts, update them with a new email address to maintain access.
• Consider forwarding emails: Set up email forwarding to a new account if you want to keep receiving emails sent to your Yahoo address.

How to Reactivate/Recover a Deleted Yahoo Account

Yahoo allows a 30-day grace period to recover your account after making a deletion request. The duration applies for most regions, but it can vary (for example, 90 days in Australia and New Zealand and 180 days in Brazil, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India).

Recovering your account can restore access to your emails, contacts, and other Yahoo services. Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the Yahoo Sign-in page and enter your Yahoo email address. Once done, click Next.
2. Follow the prompts to verify your identity, which may include answering security questions.
3. A verification code will be sent to the backup email or phone number linked to your account, along with additional instructions. Follow the instructions in the email to recover your Yahoo account. You might be asked to create a new password.

After your account is reactivated, you can access your emails and other Yahoo services (although you won’t be able to see any emails that were sent to you while your account was deactivated as these will have bounced back to the sender).

Why Delete Your Yahoo Account?

You might want to permanently delete your Yahoo account if it poses security risks — for example, it’s been hacked and you want to protect your data. Unauthorized access to personal emails and data can lead to identity theft, privacy breaches, and further access to other online accounts.

You may also want to delete your Yahoo account if:

• Your account is no longer in use. If you've switched to other email services or platforms and no longer use your Yahoo account, it's better to delete it to simplify your digital life.
• Privacy management. Deleting a Yahoo account can be a way to manage digital footprints, especially if the account contains sensitive personal information.
• Avoiding spam. An old account can become a magnet for spam and junk emails, which can be annoying and potentially harmful.

Pro Tip: It’s very easy to leave trails of your activity online even if you think you’re doing everything you can to clear traces. Check out our deep dive into the ways hackers and snoops can obtain your information online.

Yahoo itself has suffered major data breaches in the past, raising questions about whether it can safely handle users' information.

• In August 2013, a massive breach affected all 3 billion user accounts, exposing names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords — and, in some cases — security questions and answers. The breach enabled the attackers to access Yahoo accounts without needing passwords.
• A year later, in 2014, another security breach impacted about 500 million users, and sensitive data was stolen including telephone numbers and passwords. Yahoo only became aware of this breach in 2016 (just before finalizing its sale to Verizon) — raising concerns about the delay in detection and notification.
• In 2017, Yahoo issued warnings that some accounts were also compromised between 2015 and 2016, attributing it to the earlier (2013 and 2014) cyber-attacks.

Even more concerning is that Yahoo states in its Data Storage & Anonymization page that it may still keep copies of your data (including search interests) even after permanently deleting your account. The reason given is that it’s for archival, legal, or audit purposes. It means your privacy isn’t fully guaranteed even after terminating your account.

Editors' Note: Expressvpn and this site are in the same ownership group.

FAQs on How to Delete a Yahoo Account

Why can’t I delete my Yahoo email account?

You might have active subscriptions or outstanding balances. First, remove all active subscriptions and clear any pending fees (you can check these on your My Subscriptions page). You also need to wait 90 days after the end of the paid term for any canceled subscriptions. In general, it takes time before your account is permanently deleted after making the deletion request — so you might just need to wait it out too.

If you can’t log in to request deletion in the first place, your account might also have been automatically deactivated by Yahoo. This can happen if you’ve breached the company’s terms and conditions or if you haven’t signed in to your account for over a year.

How long does it take to delete a Yahoo account permanently?

Most regions are subject to a 30-day waiting period before a Yahoo account is deleted (it could be longer, depending on where you live). During this period, you can still reactivate your Yahoo account. After this time, your account will be permanently deleted and you can't access data or services associated with it.

What happens to emails sent after deleting my Yahoo Mail account?

After deleting your account, all emails sent to your address will bounce and the sender will receive a delivery fail notification (“failed to send”). You can set up an email forwarding service to continue receiving emails or inform your contacts about alternative channels to reach you.

Can I reactivate my Yahoo account without my username, phone, or email?

You're required to verify your identity when reactivating your account. Yahoo asks for your username, phone number, or access to an alternate email linked to the account. If you can't verify through any of these channels, you may have to contact the Yahoo support team for further assistance. Just note that this option is only available to Yahoo Plus users.

What happens to my Flickr account after deleting a Yahoo account?

Your Flickr account isn’t affected in any way after deleting your Yahoo account. The service was sold off and is no longer associated with Yahoo. However, you might lose access to other third-party services linked to your Yahoo account when you delete it. It's recommended to link associated services to a different email address before deleting your account.

Delete Your Yahoo Account in Minutes

Because Yahoo collects information about your online activities, deleting your account is an effective way of managing your digital privacy and data security. If your account is no longer in use or has been seriously compromised, you can permanently delete it to avoid sensitive information getting into the wrong hands.