How do I find and delete old online accounts?
Search your inboxes for sign-up emails, check saved passwords and connected logins, then delete or deactivate what you no longer use.
Most of us have dozens of forgotten accounts. Each one is a store of personal details that could leak in a breach. Finding them is mostly a matter of knowing where to look.
Where to look
- Your inboxes: search for “welcome”, “verify your email” and “confirm your account”.
- Your browser or password manager’s saved logins.
- The “apps connected” or “sign in with” lists in your main accounts.
- Breach notification services that check your email address.
Deleting properly
Look in account settings for delete rather than deactivate, since deactivated accounts often keep your data. Download anything you want first. Remove saved cards and addresses before deleting. If there is no delete option, many services must respond to a written deletion request, depending on where you live.
If you cannot get in
Use password reset, or contact the service’s privacy team from the email address on the account. Change passwords anywhere you reused the old one. This is general information, not legal advice. Full workflow in the guides.
Delete or hide your personal data