Trying to remove yourself from Slack? Whether you’re stepping away from a workspace or cutting down on unused accounts, Slack doesn’t offer a direct delete option for users. Instead, most people will need to deactivate their account. This guide walks you through what that means and how to do it safely, step by step.
Slack lets teams and organizations collaborate in real time. Workspaces are divided into channels where members can share files, start threads, or jump into voice and video calls. Each user account is tied to one or more workspaces, with all messages, profile data, and file uploads stored online.
Slack doesn’t offer a full delete option for standard users. Your account data stays tied to each workspace, and removal depends on workspace-level permissions.
You might not be able to delete your Slack account, but there are still valid reasons to deactivate it. These include but are not limited to:
If you’ve switched jobs, left a freelance project, or exited a community workspace, deactivate your Slack account so you’re no longer part of that communication channel. This helps prevent accidental exposure to sensitive discussions or internal updates you’re no longer involved in.
Slack accounts can pile up, especially if you’ve joined multiple workspaces over the years. Deactivation allows you to clean up unused accounts and focus only on the workspaces you actually use, without worrying about unread messages or scattered activity history.
Even after you leave a company, your Slack profile might still display your name, title, photo, or contact details. Deactivating your account removes access and signals to others that you’re no longer active, protecting your professional identity from outdated or misleading info.
If you’re trying to reduce distractions or manage app permissions more tightly, deactivating Slack can help. It stops notifications, severs app-level tracking of your activity, and makes sure you’re not passively logged into a workspace you’ve moved on from.
You’ll need to repeat these steps for each workspace you’re part of because Slack accounts are workspace-specific.
Before deactivating your Slack account, make sure to download any important files or message history you may need later deactivation cuts off access instantly. If you’re part of multiple workspaces, confirm which ones you want to leave.
Let your teammates know in advance if your absence might disrupt communication. Finally, check if you’re the workspace owner or admin, as you may need to transfer ownership before deactivating your account.
Not directly. Slack doesn’t offer a full self-deletion option. You can deactivate your account, but only workspace owners or admins can delete your profile data after deactivation.
Open Slack in a browser, go to your profile → More (···) → Account Settings → Deactivate Account. Enter your password to confirm. Repeat this for each workspace you’re part of.
You’ll lose access to the workspace, and your profile will show as “Deactivated” to other users. However, your messages and files remain unless removed by an admin or affected by retention settings.
You can only delete messages you’ve sent yourself. Hover over the message, click the three-dot icon, and choose “Delete message.” Messages from others can’t be deleted unless you’re a workspace admin (and if permissions allow it).
Yes. When you delete a message you’ve sent, it disappears for everyone in the conversation. However, admins may still be able to view it depending on retention policies or compliance tools.
