Deleting your Yelp account removes your profile, reviews, and photos from the site
When you delete a Yelp account, the company removes your profile page, all reviews you wrote, your photos, and your saved lists. Your account information — email, password, and any payment details you stored — is also deleted. This is permanent and cannot be undone, so make sure you want to go through with it before you start.
Yelp does not let you delete your account through the website or mobile app. Instead, you have to contact Yelp support directly and request the deletion. The process takes a few minutes to set up, but Yelp may take several days to actually remove everything from their servers.
If you only want to hide your account temporarily or stop receiving emails, there are faster options that do not require deletion. But if you want your reviews and profile gone completely, deletion is the only way.
Key Takeaways
- You cannot delete your Yelp account from the app or website — you must contact Yelp support through their help center form.
- Deletion is permanent and removes your profile, all reviews, photos, and saved lists from public view.
- Yelp may take several days to process the deletion after you submit your request.
- If you only want to pause notifications or hide your profile temporarily, you can deactivate your account instead of deleting it.
- Before you delete, read any photos or reviews you want to keep, since they will not be recoverable afterward.
How to request account deletion through Yelp support
Go to the Yelp Help Center at help.yelp.com and look for the "Contact Us" link, usually at the bottom of the page. Click it and you will see a form with a dropdown menu that says "What can we help you with?" Click that dropdown and scroll down to find "Account and Login" or "Privacy and Data" — the exact wording changes, but it will be in that section.
Select the option that mentions closing, deleting, or deactivating your account. In the message box, write something clear like "I want to permanently delete my Yelp account" and include the email address attached to your account. Do not ask for deactivation if you want permanent deletion — be specific about what you want, because support will follow your exact request.
Submit the form and watch for a confirmation email from Yelp support. They will usually respond within 24 to 48 hours with a link or instructions to confirm the deletion. Click that link or follow those instructions to finalize the request. After you confirm, Yelp begins the deletion process, which can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
What happens to your reviews and photos after deletion
Once your account is deleted, your profile page disappears and your name no longer appears on any reviews or photos you posted. However, the reviews and photos themselves may stay on business pages for a short time while Yelp processes the deletion. This is normal and does not mean the deletion failed.
If you wrote a review that a business owner or other users found helpful, that review may have been saved or screenshotted before you deleted it. Yelp cannot remove copies that exist outside their system, so deletion does not erase reviews from the internet entirely — it only removes them from Yelp's own site.
If you are deleting your account because you want to remove a specific negative review you wrote, understand that deletion removes all your reviews, not just one. If you only want to delete a single review, you can edit or remove it individually from your account without deleting the whole account.
Deactivation as an alternative to deletion
If you are not sure about permanent deletion, you can deactivate your account instead. Deactivation hides your profile and stops you from receiving emails, but your account and reviews stay in Yelp's system. You can reactivate a deactivated account at any time by logging back in.
To deactivate, go to your account settings (usually found by clicking your profile picture or name in the top right), look for "Account Settings" or "Privacy," and find the option to deactivate or pause your account. The exact location varies depending on whether you are on the website or app, but it is always in the settings area.
Deactivation is useful if you want a break from Yelp but might want to come back later. Deletion is better if you are certain you will not use Yelp again and want your data completely removed.
Before you delete: what to save first
Before you submit a deletion request, take a few minutes to save anything you might want later. If you wrote reviews you are proud of or took photos you want to keep, take screenshots or copy the text. Yelp does not provide a read tool for your own content, so manual saving is your only option.
Check your saved lists and bookmarks too. If you created lists of favorite restaurants or businesses, those will disappear when your account is deleted. Write down the names of any businesses you want to remember, or take a screenshot of the list.
If you used Yelp to track reservations or orders at restaurants, make sure you have that information saved elsewhere before you delete. Once your account is gone, you will not be able to look up past reservations through Yelp.
What to do if you change your mind after deletion
If you delete your account and then change your mind within a few days, contact Yelp support when ready and ask them to cancel the deletion request. If the deletion has already been processed, Yelp cannot restore your account — you would have to create a new one from scratch.
A new account will not have your old reviews, photos, or history. You would be starting completely over, so it is worth reaching out to support right away if you realize you made a mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete just one review instead of my whole account?
Yes. Go to your profile, find the review you want to remove, and click the delete or trash icon next to it. You do not have to delete your entire account to remove a single review. This is much faster than contacting support and is reversible if you change your mind.
How long does it take for Yelp to actually delete my account?
Yelp usually processes deletions within a few days to two weeks. Your profile disappears quickly, but it may take longer for all your reviews and photos to be fully removed from their servers. If it has been more than two weeks, contact support to check the status.
Will my reviews disappear when ready after I request deletion?
Your profile and name will disappear quickly, usually within 24 hours. Your reviews and photos may stay visible for a short time while Yelp processes the full deletion. This is normal and does not mean the deletion failed.
Can I delete my Yelp account from the mobile app?
No. The app does not have a delete account option. You must use the Yelp Help Center website and contact support through their form. You can access the Help Center from any web browser on your phone or computer.
What if Yelp support does not respond to my deletion request?
Yelp support usually responds within 24 to 48 hours. If you do not hear back after two days, check your spam folder in case the email went there. If you still have not heard back after three days, submit the request again with a note that this is a follow-up.