You can delete your Yelp account through your account settings, and the process takes about five minutes

Deleting a Yelp account removes your profile, reviews, photos, and check-ins from the site permanently. Yelp does not keep a copy of your deleted account after 30 days, though the company may retain some data for legal or safety reasons. Once you delete your account, you cannot recover it — you would need to create a new one if you change your mind.

The deletion process is straightforward and does not require you to contact Yelp support. You do the whole thing from your account settings page on any device with internet access.

Key Takeaways

  • You delete your Yelp account by going to your account settings, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking the delete account button.
  • Yelp will ask you to confirm your password before the deletion goes through, so have that ready.
  • Your profile, reviews, and photos disappear from Yelp immediately, though search engines may still show cached versions for a few weeks.
  • You cannot undo a deletion after you confirm it, so make sure you want to leave before you click the final button.

Steps to delete your account on desktop

Open Yelp in your web browser and sign in to your account if you are not already logged in. Click your profile icon in the top right corner of the page — it usually shows your photo or initials. A dropdown menu will appear with several options.

Select Account Settings from the dropdown. You will land on a page that shows your email, password settings, and other account information. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page. You will see a red button or link that says Delete Account or Close Account — the exact wording varies slightly depending on when your account was created.

Click that button. Yelp will show you a confirmation screen that explains what will happen: your profile, reviews, photos, and check-ins will be removed. Read through this to make sure you understand. Then enter your Yelp password in the box provided. Click the final confirmation button to complete the deletion.

Steps to delete your account on mobile

Open the Yelp app or go to Yelp.com in your phone's browser. Sign in if needed. Tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the app (or top right if you are using the browser). This takes you to your profile page.

Look for a menu icon — usually three horizontal lines or three dots — and tap it. Scroll down until you see Account Settings and tap that option. On the settings page, scroll to the very bottom. You will see the delete account option, which may be labeled Delete Account, Close Account, or Deactivate Account.

Tap it and confirm your password when prompted. The app will ask you to confirm one more time before the deletion is final. Tap yes or confirm, and your account will be deleted.

What happens to your reviews and photos after deletion

Your reviews and photos disappear from Yelp's site immediately after you delete your account. However, Google, Bing, and other search engines may still show cached versions of your profile or reviews in their search results for a few weeks. You cannot remove these cached pages yourself — search engines delete them automatically as they re-index the web.

If you want to speed this up, you can use Google Search Console to request removal of your cached pages. This is optional and not necessary for most people, but it does help if you are concerned about old reviews still appearing in search results.

If you want to keep your account but hide your profile

Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. If you are not sure whether you want to leave Yelp entirely, you have another option: you can make your profile private instead. This hides your reviews and profile from other users while keeping your account active.

To do this, go to Account Settings and look for a Privacy section. You can choose to make your profile private, which means only you can see your reviews and check-in history. Your account still exists, and you can change this setting back anytime. This is a good middle ground if you want to step back from Yelp without losing the option to return.

Common problems and what to do

If you cannot find the delete account button, you may be looking in the wrong place. Make sure you are in Account Settings, not just your profile page. The delete option is always at the very bottom of the settings page, so scroll all the way down. If you are on mobile, make sure you have scrolled to the absolute bottom — sometimes the button is below the fold.

If Yelp asks for your password and you do not remember it, click Forgot Password on the login page. Yelp will send you a reset link to your email address. Reset your password, then go back to Account Settings and try the deletion again.

If the delete button is greyed out or not working, try a different browser or clear your browser cache. Sometimes cached data prevents the button from responding. If it still does not work after clearing your cache, you can contact Yelp support through the Help Center, though support cannot delete your account for you — you have to do it yourself from your settings.

What Yelp keeps after you delete

Yelp states that it deletes your account data 30 days after you request deletion. However, the company may keep some information for legal reasons, fraud prevention, or to comply with law enforcement requests. This is standard practice across most websites and is required by law in many cases.

Your personal information — email address, password, phone number — is deleted along with your profile. Yelp does not sell your data to third parties, and deletion removes you from their marketing lists. If you have concerns about what data Yelp holds, you can request a copy of your information before you delete your account by contacting Yelp's privacy team through their Help Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover my account after I delete it?

No. Once you confirm the deletion, your account is gone permanently. You cannot recover it or restore your reviews. If you change your mind, you would need to create a brand new Yelp account from scratch.

Will my reviews stay on Yelp after I delete my account?

No. Your reviews, photos, and check-ins are removed from Yelp when you delete your account. However, search engines may show cached versions for a few weeks before they update their index.

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

No. You delete your account yourself through your account settings. Yelp support cannot delete your account for you, and you do not need to email or call anyone.

What if I only want to hide my profile instead of deleting it?

You can make your profile private in your Account Settings under Privacy. This hides your reviews from other users but keeps your account active. You can change this back anytime, unlike deletion.

How long does it take for my account to be fully deleted?

Your profile disappears from Yelp immediately after you confirm deletion. Yelp removes your account data completely within 30 days. Search engines may take longer to remove cached versions of your profile.