OK. You’ve had enough. Your sick of catching Pokemon, and you want to get back to your everyday life… but the draw to keep opening that friendly little app is just so strong. “Can I do it?”, you might ask yourself. “Can I delete my ‘Pokemon Go’ account?” The answer, as it turns out, is a little more complicated than you might think it is — and not just because it requires you to gird your digital loins and find the power within yourself to delete one of the most compelling apps ever to hit the app store.
The short version is this: Yes, you can, in fact, delete your “Pokemon Go” account. “Pokemon Go” developer Niantic even has a page discussing this very topic on its “Pokemon Go” support site. But here’s the thing: You can’t delete it on your own. Nowhere within the app is it possible to completely wipe your own account. You have to go to the higher powers — that is, Niantic — in order to do it. Reads the support page, “Please contact us to delete your ‘Pokemon Go’ account. This will completely remove your account and you will no longer be able to play ‘Pokemon Go.’” There's even a special contact page for putting in a deletion request.
And doing so is serious business. “‘Pokemon Go’ account deletions are irreversible and you will not be able to reuse the nickname again for ‘Pokemon Go.’ We cannot honor any cancellations once you have confirmed you’d like to delete your account,” the page continues. It’s obviously not a choice for the faint of heart, and it’s worth it be informed as you struggle to make up your mind about it.
In that spirit, here’s everything you need to know about “Pokemon Go” account deletion:
What Does "Pokemon Go" Account Deletion Do?
Exactly what you think it does: It wipes your entire profile and all related game data. Your Trainer — and all the Pokemon you’ve caught, hatched, evolved, and powered up — will be gone, lost to the void like so many flecks of dust. You will no longer be able to play “Pokemon Go” with that account.
Wait, I Made A Mistake! Can I Un-Delete My Account?
Nope. A “Pokemon Go” account deletion is final, so if you put in a request for it, you’d better make dang sure it’s what you really want. A deletion cannot be reversed, and generally speaking, once you’ve put in a request for a deletion, the request can’t be stopped.
Can I Create A New Account After My Old One Has Been Deleted?
Yes, but not with the same email address. One of the many boxes you have to check on the account deletion request page before you make your request reads, “I understand I will not be able to reuse this email once my profile is deleted.” You also can’t use the same Trainer nickname more than once.
OK, I’m Sure This Is What I Want. How Do I Actually Delete My Account?
First, go to the “Pokemon Go” account deletion request page. Once you’re there enter the following info: The email address associated with the account, your reason(s) for requesting an account deletion, and your Trainer character’s nickname. Then check all four boxes below those fields; they acknowledge that you understand the following: That “a profile deletion request is IRREVERSIBLE, and attempts to cancel the request after submitting can’t be guaranteed”; that “after submitting this form, my ‘Pokemon Go’ profile and all associated game data will be permanently deleted”; that “I will not be able to reuse this email address once my profile is deleted”; and that “I will not be able to reuse this nickname once my profile is deleted.”
Then, finally, hit the “Submit” button. According to Niantic, “account deletion requests currently take several weeks to review and process,” so you might just want to go ahead and delete the app off your phone while you’re waiting — unless you really want to test your willpower, that is. I suppose if you’re feeling dedicated enough, you can leave the app installed and simply do your best to resist its magnetic pull until the deletion process is complete.
Godspeed, former Trainers. Godspeed.
Images: Giphy (4)
