If your app lets people create an account, both Apple and Google Play require a way to delete it. Apple’s App Review Guideline 5.1.1(v) says people must be able to start deleting their account from inside the app, and deletion must remove the account and its personal data, not just deactivate it. Google Play asks for the same in-app option plus a web page where people can request deletion without reinstalling the app. Apps that don’t meet these rules can be rejected or, on Google Play, removed. Here is what each store asks for and how to build it.
Which apps need an account deletion option?
Any app that supports account creation. Apple applies the rule to apps submitted to the App Store that support account creation, including accounts the app creates automatically, sometimes called guest accounts. It still applies if your app sends people to a website to sign up. Google Play applies its account deletion requirements to apps that let users create an account from within the app.
An app with no accounts has nothing to delete. TripFund, our expense app on Google Play, doesn’t use accounts at all: trip records stay on the phone and we keep no copy. If your app doesn’t need accounts, not adding them avoids this work, along with storing personal data you would then have to protect.
What does Apple require?
- Start deletion inside the app. The option must be easy to find, typically in account settings.
- Delete the whole account, along with the personal data linked to it. You can offer other options, but only offering to deactivate or disable the account is not enough.
- Link straight to the right web page if people have to finish on your website. Don’t make them search for it.
- No phone calls, emails or support chats to complete deletion, unless your app is in a highly regulated industry such as banking or healthcare (Guideline 5.1.1(ix)).
- Confirmation steps are allowed, such as re-entering a password or a code sent to the account’s email, but apps that make deletion unnecessarily difficult won’t pass review.
- Keep people informed: say how long deletion will take, explain what happens to billing, and say what data you must legally keep.
- Offer it to everyone, not only users in places with privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA.
Apple also says content people shared, such as photos, posts and reviews, should be deleted with the account unless the law requires you to keep it, and that manual deletion is acceptable if it takes a reasonable time and you confirm when it is done. Details are on Apple’s Guideline 5.1.1(v) page.
What does Google Play require?
- An in-app way to delete the account and the data associated with it.
- A web page where people can request deletion without having to reinstall or open the app. You add this link to the Data safety form in Play Console, and Google shows a data deletion section on your store listing.
- Clear disclosure of anything you keep, for example for security, fraud prevention or legal reasons.
Google set a deadline of 31 May 2024 for apps to complete the data deletion questions, and said apps that don’t comply after that may face enforcement, such as removal from Google Play.
How do Apple’s and Google’s rules compare?
| Requirement | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Delete from inside the app | Required | Required |
| Web page to request deletion | Only needed if deletion is finished on the web; link directly to it | Required, linked in the Data safety form |
| Deactivation instead of deletion | Not enough on its own | Account and its data must be deleted |
| Data you must keep | Tell people what is kept | Disclose what is kept and why |
| Support-only deletion (email, phone) | Only for highly regulated industries | Users must be able to request it through the in-app path and web page |
How do you handle subscriptions when someone deletes their account?
Deleting an account in your app doesn’t stop a subscription that is billed by the app store. Apple’s guidance is to tell people with an auto-renewing subscription that billing will continue through Apple and ask them to cancel first, and to link them to their subscription settings. You may offer to schedule deletion for when the subscription ends, as long as people can also delete their account immediately.
What about Sign in with Apple?
If your app uses Sign in with Apple, Apple says to use the Sign in with Apple REST API to revoke the user’s tokens when they delete their account, and to handle Apple’s server-to-server notifications for account changes. That needs a small piece of server code, so plan for it if your app has a back-end.
How do you build account deletion into your app?
- Add a Delete account button in account settings, with a clear explanation of what will be deleted.
- Confirm once, for example with the password or a code sent by email, then delete.
- Delete on the server too: the user record, their personal data and the content they created, plus copies in services such as email lists or analytics where you can.
- Check for active subscriptions and tell people how to cancel before you delete.
- Publish a deletion request page on your website and add the link to the Data safety form in Play Console.
- Send a confirmation when deletion is complete, especially if it isn’t instant.
- Test it with a reviewer’s eyes: a new user should find and complete deletion in a few taps.
These steps add time to a project, which is one reason accounts and logins push up the price of an app. Our guide to app development cost covers the other cost drivers, and our guide to Google Play’s 12-testers rule covers the testing step before launch.
Frequently asked questions
Is deactivating an account enough for Apple?
No. Apple says only offering to temporarily deactivate or disable an account is insufficient. You can offer deactivation as an extra option, but people must be able to delete the account and its personal data.
Can I ask users to email us to delete their account?
Not for most apps. Apple says apps outside highly regulated industries should not require a phone call, email or support chat to delete an account. Google Play requires an in-app path and a web page to request deletion.
Does deleting the account cancel the user’s subscription?
Not by itself. Apple says billing for an auto-renewing subscription continues through Apple, so tell people to cancel their subscription first and link them to their subscription settings.
Do apps without accounts need a deletion option?
No. The rules apply to apps that support account creation. Apple notes that accounts created automatically for a user, sometimes called guest accounts, also count.
Need an app that passes review the first time?
We build Flutter and native apps with account deletion, privacy and store requirements planned in from the start. See our app development service or tell us about your app.
Sources: Apple Developer: Offering account deletion in your app; Apple App Review Guideline 5.1.1(v); Google Play Console Help: account deletion requirements. Checked 7 November 2026. Nowdigiverse is not affiliated with Apple or Google, and this is not legal advice.