The difference between logging off and deleting your account
Logging off Twitter (now called X) straightforward ends your current session — you sign out, and the next time you visit the site, you will need to sign back in. Your account, your posts, your followers, and all your information stay on X's servers. Closing your account is permanent: X deletes your profile, your posts, your follower list, and your direct messages within 30 days, though some data may remain in backups or in places where your tweets were shared.
Most people who want to "log off" are actually looking to sign out of one device or browser. If you want to stop using X altogether, you have two paths: deactivate your account (which gives you 30 days to change your mind) or request permanent deletion. Each one works differently and leaves your information in different places.
Key Takeaways
- Signing out of X on one device does not affect your account on other devices — you must sign out of each one separately.
- Deactivating your account hides your profile and posts for 30 days, but X keeps your data in case you reactivate.
- Requesting permanent deletion removes your profile and posts from X within 30 days, though archived copies may exist elsewhere.
- X stores some data even after deletion, including server logs and information shared with third parties before you left.
How to sign out on a single device
On the X website or app, tap or click the three-dot menu icon (usually in the top right corner of your screen). Scroll down to find "Log out" or "Sign out" and select it. You will be returned to the login page. The next time you or anyone else uses that device or browser, they will need to enter your username and password to access your account.
If you use X on multiple devices — your phone, your tablet, your work computer, your home computer — signing out on one does not sign you out on the others. You must repeat this step on each device where you want to be logged out. Many people forget this and think they have logged off everywhere when they have only logged off one place.
How to deactivate your account temporarily
Go to Settings and Privacy (usually found in the menu under your profile picture). Select "Account" and then "Deactivate your account." X will ask you to confirm and will explain that your account will be hidden for 30 days. During this time, your profile will not appear in searches, your posts will not be visible, and people cannot send you direct messages. However, X keeps all your data — your posts, your followers, your messages — on its servers.
If you change your mind within 30 days, you can log back in with your username and password, and your account will be restored exactly as it was. After 30 days, if you have not reactivated, X begins the process of permanently deleting your account. This is useful if you want to take a break but are not sure whether you want to leave permanently.
How to permanently delete your account
Go to Settings and Privacy, select "Account," and choose "Deactivate your account." You will see the same confirmation screen as deactivation, but read it carefully — X explains that after 30 days, your account cannot be recovered. Unlike deactivation, permanent deletion cannot be undone by straightforward logging back in.
After you request deletion, your profile and posts disappear from X within a few hours, though the full removal from all of X's systems takes up to 30 days. During that 30-day window, if you log back in, the deletion request is cancelled and your account returns. After 30 days have passed, X permanently removes your account from its active systems.
What happens to your data after you delete your account
X deletes your profile, your posts, your direct messages, and your follower list from its public systems. However, X keeps some data even after deletion: server logs that record when you logged in and what you did, information it shared with advertisers or other companies before you left, and copies of your posts that other people retweeted or quoted. If someone took a screenshot of your tweet or saved it before you deleted, that copy belongs to them, not to X.
Search engines like Google may still show your old X profile in search results for weeks or months after deletion, because search engines cache old pages. You can ask Google to remove your profile from its search results by using Google's removal tool, but this is separate from deleting your X account itself.
Signing out without deleting if you share a device
If you share a computer, tablet, or phone with someone else, signing out is especially important. After you sign out, the next person who opens X will see the login page, not your account. However, if you use a browser that remembers passwords, the next person may be able to click your name and log in without typing your password. To prevent this, clear your browser's saved passwords or use a private browsing window (called Incognito in Chrome, Private in Firefox, or Private Browsing in Safari).
If you are the account owner and want to prevent someone else from accessing your account on a shared device, change your password after you sign out. This forces anyone trying to log in to enter the new password, which they will not know.
What to do if you cannot access your account to sign out
If you have forgotten your password or no longer have access to the email or phone number linked to your account, you cannot sign out through the normal menu. Instead, go to X's login page and select "Forgot password?" Enter the email or phone number you used to create the account, and X will send you a reset link. Follow that link to create a new password, then sign in and sign out normally.
If you cannot access the email or phone number associated with your account, you will need to contact X's support team. Go to X's Help Center and select "Contact us" to describe your situation. Response times vary, and X may ask you to verify your identity before helping you regain access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does logging off Twitter delete my tweets?
No. Signing out only ends your session on that device. Your tweets, your followers, and your account remain on X's servers. Only deactivating or permanently deleting your account removes your posts from public view.
If I log off on my phone, am I logged off on my computer too?
No. Each device has its own session. You must sign out separately on your phone, your computer, your tablet, and any other device where you use X. Signing out on one does not affect the others.
Can I recover my account after I request permanent deletion?
You have 30 days to log back in and cancel the deletion request. After 30 days, X permanently removes your account and it cannot be recovered. Deactivation is reversible at any time during the 30-day window, but permanent deletion is not.
Will my tweets disappear when ready after I delete my account?
Your profile and posts disappear from X within a few hours, but X takes up to 30 days to remove all traces from its systems. Tweets that other people shared or quoted before you deleted may remain visible in their feeds.
What if someone else is using my account after I log off?
If you share a device and the browser remembers your password, the next person may be able to log in without your password. Change your password after signing out, or use private browsing mode to prevent the browser from saving your login information.