If you've had enough of Twitter,??? ?????.???.??????.?????? you'll be glad to hear it's a simple task to delete your account. After all, while the micro-blogging service is a fab digital tool for keeping up with news, memes, and other digital content, it can be a toxic place (*cough* reply guys *cough*), especially if you spend too much time on it.

If you've made the decision to leave Twitter, here's how to go about deleting your account.

Deleting versus deactivating

You can't instantly delete your Twitter account. Twitter's deletion process starts with deactivating your account. This begins a 30-day window that gives you time to decide whether you'd really like to quit forever, or if you might want to reactivate your account. If you log back into your account within the 30-day period, it is reactivated. If not, it will be deleted on day 30.

What does deactivating your Twitter account mean?

Deactivating your Twitter account means your username and public profile will not be viewable on Twitter.com, Twitter for iOS, or Twitter for Android. If you reactivate your account before the 30-day window is up, everything will remain as it was on the day you hit the deactivate button.

How to download your Twitter data before you deactivate your account

You may want to download your Twitter data, which includes your entire Tweet history, before you take the first step to delete your account.

To do so, go to your Account settings by clicking the "More" icon in the navigation bar on the left-hand side of your screen. Select "Your account" from the menu.

Click "Download an archive of your data."

Credit: screengrab: amy-mae turner

Next, enter your password. Then click "Confirm." You now need to verify your identity by clicking "Send code to your email address and/or phone number on file." If you do not have an email address or phone number on file, you will be redirected to the Account information page.

Enter the code sent to your email address and/or phone number. After verifying your identity, click the "Request data" button.

When your .zip file data download is ready, Twitter will send an email to your connected email account or a push notification if you have the app installed. From your settings, you can click the "Download data" button under the Download data section.

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Once you receive the email, click the "Download" button while logged in to your Twitter account and download a .zip file of your Twitter archive.

How to deactivate your Twitter account on a desktop

Click on the "More" icon on the left-hand side navigation bar.

Credit: screengrab: amy-mae turner

Then click on "Settings and privacy" from the drop-down menu.

Credit: screengrab: amy-mae turner

From the "Your account" tab, click on "Deactivate your account."

Credit: screengrab: amy-mae turner

Read the account deactivation information, then click "Deactivate."

Credit: screengrab: amy-mae turner

Enter your password when prompted and confirm that you want to proceed by clicking the "Deactivate account" button.

How to deactivate your Twitter account on iOS

Tap the three lines navigation menu icon at the top of your screen. Then tap "Settings and privacy."

Tap "Your account." Then tap "Deactivate your account." Read the account deactivation information, then tap "Deactivate."

Enter your password when prompted and tap "Deactivate." Confirm your deactivation by tapping "Yes, deactivate."

How to deactivate your Twitter account on Android

In the top menu, you will either see a navigation menu icon or your profile icon. Tap whichever icon you have, then tap "Settings and privacy."

Tap "Account," then tap "Deactivate your account." Read the account deactivation information, then tap "Deactivate."

Enter your password when prompted and tap "Deactivate." Confirm that you want to proceed by tapping "Yes, deactivate."

How to reactivate your Twitter account within the 30-day deactivation period

If you change your mind and decide not to delete your Twitter account, logging into your account within the 30-day deactivation window restores it completely.

Related Video: How to permanently delete your social media