How to Delete Your Slack Account: An In-Depth Walkthrough

Do you rely on Slack for connecting remote teams and organizing your work life? As of 2019, over 10 million daily active Slack users do. The instant messaging app has taken collaboration to the next level.

But what if you need to erase your presence across Slack workspaces as you switch jobs or close down projects? Deleting your entire Slack account can feel daunting.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know. You‘ll learn:

• How to fully deactivate your account in desktop
• The difference between deactivation vs deletion
• What permissions are required to delete accounts
• What happens to your messages, data and history
• Best practices before removal such as downloading data

Let‘s start by understanding why you may need to remove a Slack account.

Why Delete Your Slack Account?

First launched in 2014, Slack‘s meteoric growth brought messaging and collaboration together for teams small and large. But there are a few reasons you may want to delete your Slack account:

• You‘re leaving a company or changing jobs – you‘ll lose access to your old work Slack when you lose access to that email address. Deleting removes data traces from the old account.
• A client project ended so continuity on that Slack workspace is no longer needed.
• Your company stopped using Slack and migrated over to Microsoft Teams or other apps instead. Removing old unused social media accounts is good privacy practice.
• You want increased privacy from work communications during off hours or after changing roles.

Now let‘s get into the step-by-step for account deactivation.

How to Deactivate Your Slack Account

Deactivating your account cuts off access across associated Slack workspaces. You can no longer sign in and all integrations will stop working.

Here is the process to deactivate on desktop:

Step 1: Log into the Slack desktop app using your work credentials associated with the account you wish to deactivate. Make sure you use the desktop app – the mobile version does not allow account deletion!

Step 2: Click on your profile picture, then choose Profile from the dropdown menu. This opens your public slack profile.

Step 3: Click the vertical … button to access More Options.

Step 4: Select Account Settings to access permissions, notifications, authentication and other account controls.

Step 5: Scroll down and click the red Deactivate Account button.

You may see a message indicating only the workspace owner can fully delete your account. We‘ll discuss permissions more shortly.

Step 6: Finally, enter your password and select Deactivate to confirm your choice.

And your Slack account is now deactivated! Simple right?

Here is what happens when you deactivate a Slack account:

So in summary:

• You lose access to any workspaces, tools, apps and teams linked to that account
• But your historic activity, messages, content and profile are not deleted

For full removal of your Slack presence and data, deletion is required…

Deleting a Slack Account Permanently

The key difference between Slack account deactivation compared to deletion is data removal.

Deactivation cuts off access and permissions. This instantly revokes your ability to sign-in and use that workspace.

But conversations you participated in, private messages, files uploaded, and comments mentioning your handle still remain in the Slack workspace. Your profile also stays visible.

Actual account/data deletion erases all traces of activity. Your content, messages, profile vanishes. It‘s like you never joined that Slack in the first place!

However, only Owners can delete member accounts in a workspace:

Let‘s break this down further.

Slack Deletion Permissions by Plan

Your permission levels around erasing accounts depends on the Slack plan your workspace uses and your role.

Free, Standard, Plus Plans

• Owners can delete members fully
• Admins can only deactivate accounts
• The Primary Owner must transfer that role first before their account can also be removed

Enterprise Grid Plan

• Org Owners can delete Workspace Owners, Admins and Members
• The Primary Owner must transfer their role first before their own account can be deleted

So in summary, Workspace Owners hold the power for permanently deleting member accounts and all associated activity and data.

Below you‘ll learn how to validate if an account is currently deactivated.

Check If a Slack Account Is Deactivated

Wondering if your teammate or your own account as been deactivated already? There are a few quick ways to check:

• View user profiles – it will say "Deactivated"
• Check if they appear in member lists still
• See if their "Last active" date shows "Never"

You cannot tell if an account has been fully deleted however, since that erases profiles from view.

Next let‘s cover some best practices before removing your account.

Before Deactivating: Download Data, Transfer Channels

Whether you are deactivating or deleting your Slack account completely through an Owner, here are some things you should do first:

📥 Download a copy of your Slack data including messages, files etc
📢 Notify teammates you‘re leaving the workspace
🚚 Transfer ownership of any channels or items you own
↪️ Set messages to notify colleagues of your absence

This ensures a smooth transition for you and your collaborators. Now let‘s get into reactivating deactivated accounts.

Can You Reactivate a Deleted Slack Account?

Yes – with some limitations. Reactivation is only possible for a short period right after deactivation.

A Workspace Admin or Owner can reinstate access to a deactivated account. This restores channels, messages, profile etc.

However there‘s risks to waiting too long before reactivating:

• Deleted accounts lose access to data after a period
• Bots and integrations may need reconnecting
• Notification settings reset

Once your account is deleted fully by a Workspace Owner, reactivation is impossible. So if you do need to regain access after removing yourself from Slack, do it ASAP.

The last topic we‘ll cover is deactivating in mobile vs desktop.

Mobile Slack Does Not Allow Account Deletion

An important callout – you cannot delete or deactivate your Slack account from the mobile app.

The account deletion process covered in this guide only works when using a web browser on a desktop computer. The mobile experience actively blocks account removal.

So be sure to login via desktop to manage your account deactivation or deletion.

Key Takeaways: Cleanly Removing Yourself from Slack

Collaboration tools like Slack can organize work and life for millions of active users. But should you need to delete your access, there are specific steps to follow.

As this comprehensive guide outlined, you should:

• Deactivate through desktop to cut access while retaining data history
• Coordinate with Owners if you need full account/data deletion
• Download a backup and transfer channel ownership before removing access
• Reactivate promptly if you change your mind later on

I hope these actionable insights help you effortlessly manage your Slack access. Switching jobs or closing down projects always has transition points.

Following the expert best practices here allow you to cleanly remove accounts while protecting your messages and data history. Delete your Slack presence with confidence by utilizing this step-by-step walkthrough.