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How to Cancel Mastodon

Mastodon account deletion is straightforward and happens entirely online through your instance settings. Your profile and posts are removed from your home instance immediately, though copies may persist on other federated servers where they were shared.

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Quick Facts

Cancel online?
Yes
Pause option?
No
Refund policy
Mastodon is free. No refund policy applies as there are no charges.
After cancellation
Your profile and posts are removed from your home instance immediately. Copies of public posts may persist indefinitely on other federated instances.

Cancellation Steps

Go directly to Mastodon cancellation page

  1. Sign in to your Mastodon instance

    Visit your instance's web address and log in with your username and password.

  2. Go to Account settings

    Click your profile icon in the top right, select Preferences, then click Account in the left sidebar.

  3. Click Delete account

    Scroll to the bottom and click the red Delete account button to start the deletion process.

  4. Confirm with your password

    Re-enter your password in the confirmation dialog and click Delete to permanently remove your account.

Tips & Things to Know

  • Download your data archive from Preferences > Data export before deleting to keep a backup of your posts.
  • Understand that public posts may already exist on other instances and cannot be fully removed from the federated network.
  • Consider using account migration instead of deletion if you want to keep your followers and move to a different instance.

Your Consumer Rights

  • Under GDPR, UK and Irish users can request data deletion from their home instance.
  • US users have rights under FTC regulations regarding account data and deletion timelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mastodon a paid subscription service?
No. Mastodon is completely free and open-source with no subscription fees. Deleting your account simply removes your profile from the network.
What happens to my posts after deletion?
Your posts are removed from your home instance immediately. However, copies may persist on other instances due to Mastodon's federated architecture and cannot be fully controlled.
Can I delete my account at any time?
Yes. You can delete your Mastodon account whenever you choose with no restrictions. Deletion completes within approximately 30 days.
Can I export my data before deletion?
Yes. Go to Preferences > Data export to download your posts, profile information, and media before deleting your account.
What is federation and why do my posts persist?
Federation means independent Mastodon servers share content. When you post, your content is copied to instances where people follow you. Those servers retain copies even after you delete.

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