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How to Delete a Yahoo Email Account and Save Old Emails

If you are wondering how you can close your Yahoo mail account without losing emails, you've come to the right place. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions for canceling your Yahoo account in 2024 as well as some additional tips and links that you can use.

Closing your Yahoo account isn't as straightforward as you may expect it to be, but that's actually a good thing. Read on to find out why!

In this article:

Before you click on that "Delete" button, you should prepare for what will happen after you terminate your account. It's better to be safe than sorry!

Here's what you can do:

  1. Save your Yahoo emails.

    There is always a chance that you may need to access your old emails in the future. Therefore, to avoid regrets and disappointment, create a backup of your account before deleting your Yahoo email address. We've added the instructions for doing this below. Review them and take the necessary steps before you begin!

  2. Cancel your active Yahoo subscriptions in case you are using any paid Yahoo services. If you don't cancel them, Yahoo may continue charging you even after you delete your email account.
  3. Let other people know that you are changing your email address. Even if you set up forwarding rules in your Yahoo account, they will no longer work after you delete the account. To avoid missing important emails, send all your Yahoo contacts your new email address before you delete the old one.

It is important to understand that Yahoo does not delete accounts instantly for security reasons. Instead, it deactivates them for 30 days so that users can restore them in case termination has been requested by someone else — or if they simply change their mind.

You may be asking yourself: "Why do I have to wait to delete my Yahoo account?"

While this may seem to be an unnecessary and annoying limitation, this is actually a solid precautionary measure. This step may prevent losing access to years' worth of content unintentionally.

To delete your Yahoo email account permanently:

  1. Go to Yahoo's account termination page and sign in.
    The form for signing in to a Yahoo account
    Sign in to request cancellation of your Yahoo account
  2. Read the information about the types of data that will no longer be accessible to you and click "Continue delete my account."
    The image of the button that initiates cancellation of a Yahoo account
    How to request permanent deletion of a Yahoo account
  3. Confirm your identity by re-entering your Yahoo email address.

  4. Click "Yes, terminate this account."

    Remember that you will have 30 days (or more in some countries) to reactivate your account in case you decide to return. If you sign in to your account during this time from any of your devices, it will be reactivated automatically.

There are two ways to save your emails before you delete the account:

  • Use VaultMe to automatically copy your Yahoo emails into another online account, or
  • Download your Yahoo emails manually into a desktop email app

Below are the instructions for using these two options along with the pros and cons of each of them.

If you are leaving Yahoo for Gmail, Outlook, or any other email service provider, you can use VaultMe to copy your email history into a new online account quickly and securely.

VaultMe is an online app for email migration which makes moving away from Yahoo easy. Just connect your old and your new account

Try it Now

Pros of the automagic process:

  • No technical expertise required
  • Fully automatic
  • Quick and reliable
  • Puts a backup in an online email account

Cons of the automagic process:

  • Paid service (but inexpensive and definitely worth it)

Still hesitating? Then you should read the reviews!

If you have any questions about VaultMe, please contact us at support@vaultme.com. We'd be happy to help!

You may want to save your old Yahoo emails to a hard or flash drive, but remember: if you download your Yahoo email, you will create an archive of the emails on your computer, and that archive will only be accessible through the email app. If you decide to delete or reinstall the app, your emails will be lost unless you import them into another online email account.

Pros of the manual method:

  • Free

Cons of the manual method:

  • Requires at least some technical expertise
  • Time-consuming (according to Yahoo, "it can take several days or longer")
  • Unreliable — often results in lost or broken files
  • Requires stable broadband connection and drive storage space for an archive

  1. How long does it take to permanently delete a Yahoo email account?

    30 days. First your Yahoo account will be deactivated, and if you don't sign into it during the next 30 days, it will be permanently deleted.

  2. Does Yahoo delete old email accounts?

    If you don't sign in to your account in 12 months, your Yahoo mailbox will be permanently deleted.

In brief, here's what you need to know about canceling a Yahoo email account:

  1. Yahoo doesn't delete accounts instantly. It deactivates them for 30 days for security reasons. If no action is taken during this time, Yahoo deletes the account permanently.
  2. You should save your old emails before you cancel your account just to be on the safe side. You can do that either automatically using VaultMe or manually using a desktop app. VaultMe is a preferred option because it is quick, easy, and all emails stay organized. But if you have a small account and know how to fix issues, you may give the manual option a try, too.