You can delete your Yelp account through your account settings, but the process takes a few steps and Yelp keeps some of your data even after deletion
Yelp does not have a single "delete account" button. Instead, you go to your account settings, request deletion, and Yelp removes your profile and reviews within a few days. However, Yelp retains some information — like your email address and IP history — for legal and fraud-prevention reasons, even after your account is gone. If you straightforward want to stop using Yelp without deletion, you can deactivate your account instead, which hides your profile when ready but keeps your data on file.
The deletion process works the same whether you use the Yelp website or the mobile app, though the website is slightly faster. Deletion is permanent: you cannot recover your reviews, photos, or profile after you submit the request. If you have written reviews you want to keep, take screenshots before you start.
Key Takeaways
- Yelp deletion takes several days to complete, and you cannot undo it once you submit the request.
- Your reviews and photos will be removed from public view, but Yelp keeps your email and account history for legal purposes.
- Deactivation hides your profile when ready without deleting your data, and you can reactivate later if you change your mind.
- You must have access to the email address on your account to complete deletion, because Yelp sends a confirmation link.
How to delete your account on the Yelp website
Start by going to yelp.com and signing in with your username and password. Once you are logged in, click your profile icon in the top right corner — it appears as a small circle with your photo or initials. A dropdown menu will appear with several options.
Select Settings from that menu. You will land on a page that shows your account information, privacy settings, and notification preferences. Scroll down to the bottom of this page until you see a section labeled Account or Close Account. Click the link that says Delete Account or Close Your Account — the exact wording varies slightly depending on when Yelp last updated the interface.
Yelp will show you a warning that explains deletion is permanent and lists what will happen to your reviews and photos. Read through this carefully. Then click the button to confirm you want to proceed. Yelp will send a confirmation email to the address on your account within a few minutes.
Open that email and click the link inside it. This link takes you back to Yelp to verify your deletion request one more time. Click the final confirmation button. Your account deletion is now in progress and will complete within three to seven business days.
How to delete your account on the Yelp mobile app
Open the Yelp app and tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen. This takes you to your profile page. Tap the gear icon or Settings option, usually located near the top of the profile screen.
Scroll down until you find the Account section. Tap Delete Account or Close Account. The app will show you the same warning message as the website version. Tap to confirm you understand deletion is permanent.
Yelp sends a confirmation email to your registered email address. You must open that email and click the link inside it to complete the deletion — you cannot finish the process through the app alone. After you click the email link and confirm one final time on the website, your deletion request is submitted and will process within three to seven business days.
The difference between deleting and deactivating your account
Deactivation hides your profile and reviews from public view when ready, but Yelp keeps all your account data on their servers. You can reactivate your account at any time by signing back in with your username and password, and your profile and reviews will return exactly as they were. Deactivation is useful if you want to step back from Yelp temporarily without losing your history.
Deletion is permanent. Your profile, reviews, photos, and ratings are removed from Yelp's public site within a few days and cannot be recovered. Yelp does keep your email address, account creation date, and IP address history for legal compliance and fraud detection, but your public presence on Yelp is gone. Choose deletion only if you are certain you will not want to use Yelp again.
To deactivate instead of delete, go to Settings and look for a Deactivate Account option, which usually appears near the delete option. Click it and confirm. Your profile will disappear from search results and other users' screens within a few minutes, but you keep the option to return.
What happens to your reviews and photos after deletion
Your reviews and photos are removed from the public Yelp site and will no longer appear in business listings or search results. However, Yelp may keep copies of your content in backup systems for a limited time before those backups are purged. This is standard practice for most websites and is not specific to Yelp.
If you have written reviews that you want to preserve before deletion, take screenshots of each one. You can also copy and paste the text into a document on your computer. This is the only way to keep a personal record of what you wrote, since Yelp does not provide a read or export feature for individual user accounts.
Businesses cannot see that you deleted your account or your reviews. Once your reviews are gone from the site, they are gone from the business owner's view as well. If a business has already responded to one of your reviews, that response may remain on the site for a short time after your review is deleted, but it will eventually be removed too.
Troubleshooting if you cannot find the delete option
If you cannot locate the delete account option in Settings, check that you are signed in to the correct account. Some users have multiple Yelp accounts and accidentally sign into the wrong one. Verify the email address shown in your profile matches the account you want to delete.
If you are signed in to the right account but still do not see a delete option, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then sign in again. Yelp's interface sometimes loads incompletely if your browser is holding old versions of the page. You can also try accessing Settings from a different browser or device to see if the option appears there.
If the delete option is still missing after trying these steps, contact Yelp Support through their help center at yelp.com/support. Explain that you want to delete your account and cannot find the option in Settings. Yelp's support team can process deletion requests manually, though this may take longer than the standard process.
What to do if you change your mind after requesting deletion
If you have submitted a deletion request but have not yet clicked the confirmation link in the email Yelp sent you, straightforward do not click that link. Your account will not be deleted if you never confirm the email. You can continue using your account normally.
If you have already clicked the confirmation link and confirmed deletion a second time on the website, you cannot stop the deletion process. Yelp will proceed with removing your account over the next few days. Once deletion is complete, you cannot recover your account or its data. Your only option at that point is to create a new Yelp account with a different email address if you want to use Yelp again in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete my Yelp account if I do not remember my password?
Yes. Go to the Yelp login page and click Forgot your password? Enter the email address on your account, and Yelp will send you a password reset link. Use that link to create a new password, then sign in and follow the deletion steps above. You must have access to your registered email address to reset your password.
Will deleting my Yelp account remove my information from Google search results?
Deleting your Yelp account removes your profile from Yelp itself, but Google may still show cached or archived versions of your Yelp profile in search results for a while. Google typically removes these results within a few weeks as it re-indexes the web. If your profile still appears in Google search results after several weeks, you can request removal directly through Google Search Console.
What if I wrote a review that a business wants removed before I delete my account?
You can delete individual reviews without deleting your entire account. Go to your profile, find the review you want to remove, and click the delete or trash icon next to it. The review will be removed from the business listing when ready. You do not need to delete your whole account to remove a single review.
Does Yelp notify the businesses I reviewed when I delete my account?
No. Businesses do not receive a notification that you deleted your account or your reviews. Your reviews straightforward disappear from their listing. If a business has responded to your review, that response will eventually be removed as well, but the business will not be told why.
Can I read my Yelp data before I delete my account?
Yelp does not offer a built-in data read feature for individual user accounts. You can take screenshots of your profile and reviews, or copy and paste your review text into a document. If you want a formal record of your account data for privacy or legal reasons, contact Yelp Support and ask about data subject requests, which may be available depending on your location.