How to delete your Session account

About deleting your Session account

Session is a unique, decentralized messaging application built on the Oxen Service Node Network. Unlike traditional messaging platforms that rely on centralized servers to store your message history, contact lists, and profile metadata, Session utilizes onion-routing to ensure anonymity and privacy. Because of this decentralized architecture, there is no master account database to query or request deletion from.

Users typically decide to stop using Session when they want to minimize their digital footprint or transition to alternative communication tools. Because Session does not require a phone number or email address for registration, you might consider deleting the app to:

• Completely purge all local message logs from your hardware.
• Reset your Session ID and associated cryptographic keys.
• Remove the application from your device to reclaim storage and privacy controls.
• Disconnect your local device from the decentralized network nodes.

What happens to your data

When you delete your Session account by uninstalling the software, you are essentially destroying the local database that holds your information. Because Session is designed with privacy at its core, the following data points are affected:

• Local Message History: All encrypted chats stored on your device are removed.
• Session ID: Your unique cryptographic identity is deleted from your device, effectively making you unreachable on the network.
• Local Metadata: Any contact lists or group configurations stored locally are wiped.
• Network Activity: Since Session uses onion-routing, your past traffic is not associated with a persistent, identifiable server-side account, meaning no centralized logs exist to be 'deleted' by the service provider.

Privacy considerations

While Session offers superior privacy by eliminating central points of failure, users should remain mindful of how their local devices handle application remnants. Even after uninstalling, operating system-level caches or manual backups of your device may contain remnants of the app.

• Clear your device's cache and data directories if your OS does not do so automatically during uninstallation.
• Review any cloud backups of your phone, as these may contain encrypted local database files if you enabled automatic backups.
• Understand that your Session ID is mathematically derived; if you share it, others may attempt to contact it even after you delete your local app instance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my data stored on a Session server?

No, Session uses a decentralized network. Your data is stored locally on your device, not on a central server.

Do I need to contact Session support to delete my account?

No. Since there is no central server, support cannot access or delete an account for you.

What happens to my messages if I uninstall the app?

All messages stored locally on your device will be permanently deleted once the app is removed and its local data directory is cleared.

Can I recover my Session account after uninstallation?

If you have not backed up your recovery phrase, you cannot recover your account once the local data is deleted.

Does deleting the app remove my Session ID from my contacts' phones?

Your ID will remain in your contacts' Session address books, but they will be unable to send messages that reach your device once you have uninstalled the application.