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Andrew Milich / 6.22.2023Home / Email Security
How to delete a Yahoo account (and which provider to use instead)
If you no longer want to use Yahoo as your email provider, closing your account is the first step to a fresh start. Learn how to delete a Yahoo account quickly.
Yahoo is among the oldest and most popular email providers, but many users don’t believe it meets their standards. The service receives frequent complaints about issues ranging from temporary bugs to random account disappearances.Whether you’ve encountered such problems or wish to use another provider for another reason, you can delete a Yahoo account in a few simple steps. Note that there are several tasks you must complete beforehand, so this guide outlines the cancellation process from start to finish.
Source: Yahoo screenshot
Source: Yahoo screenshot
If you log into your account during this timeframe, your account will be reactivated, and you’ll need to repeat the deletion process.
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What to do before deleting a Yahoo account
If you’ve been using your Yahoo email for a while, deleting it haphazardly might not be a good idea. Take the following steps before closing your account:- Cancel any active subscriptions
- Export contacts and important data
- Remove linked accounts and third-party access
Cancel your subscriptions
If you’re subscribed to Yahoo services, you must cancel all subscriptions before you can delete your account. There should be no outstanding balance or active subscriptions for at least 90 to complete the closure. It is pretty inconvenient if you want to delete the account immediately, but there is no way around this rule.To review and cancel your subscriptions, follow these steps:- Visit the My Subscriptions page
- Choose the subscription you want to cancel and click Manage
- Select your reason for the cancellation
- Click Cancel my subscription
Export your data and contacts
To ensure no important information stays behind when you delete your Yahoo account, you should export and store it locally. Yahoo lets you download all your data, including:- Billing information
- Data used for personalized ads
- Account activity
- Data collected by Yahoo’s partners
- Visit the Privacy Dashboard
- Click the Manage Your Information tab and scroll down to Download and view your Yahoo data
- Click Download my data
- Choose Yahoo’s services from which you want to download data. You can click Select All if you want to download everything
- Click Next
- Enter the email to which you want to receive a notification when your data is ready for download. Make sure this isn’t the same address you’ll delete
- Click Request Download
- Click the contacts icon at the top of the right-hand menu
- Click the three-dot icon on the right
- Choose Export to CSV file
Remove third-party access and connected accounts
If you’ve used your Yahoo email for any services beyond the provider’s, you must remove it and change the connected email address. The way to do this depends on the service, so review all your subscriptions (paid newsletters, streaming services, etc.) and change the address to the one you’ll use after deleting your Yahoo account.Unlike many email providers, Yahoo offers dedicated child accounts with parental control connected to the main account. If you have such linked accounts, delete them before removing yours.The process of deleting a linked account is the same as for the primary one, and the following section will guide you through it.How to delete a Yahoo account
You can close your Yahoo account from the aforementioned Privacy Dashboard. Once you open it, follow these steps:- Go to the Manage Your Information tab
- Scroll all the way to Delete your Yahoo Account and click Delete My Account
- Read through the provided notice and click Continue
- Confirm your login credentials
- Click Yes, I want to close this account
| Country/Region | Deletion period |
| Australia | 90 days |
| Brazil | 180 days |
| Hong Kong | 180 days |
| India | 90 days |
| New Zealand | 90 days |
| Taiwan | 180 days |
Why users are deleting Yahoo accounts (and what to use instead)
Despite its popularity, Yahoo is quite flawed—especially in the security department. It has suffered numerous data breaches throughout the last decades, some leading to severe leaks. One breach affected 500 million users, revealing passwords and other sensitive data.The main reason for such leaks is Yahoo’s weak security. The platform uses the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol to encrypt data, which is insufficient to ward off different types of cyberattacks.Shifting to another Big Tech provider like Gmail or Outlook might seem wise, but you still wouldn’t get advanced protection. These services use the TLS (Transport Layer Security) standard, which is only slightly more secure than SSL. It offers basic protection and is full of vulnerabilities, so your data isn’t entirely safe from malicious parties.Privacy-conscious users choose providers that offer the most secure protection standard—end-to-end encryption (E2EE).Transition to a secure email service safelyEnsure all your data is safely stored during the transition process with Skiff's one-click migration option
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How E2EE protects your emails
As the name implies, end-to-end encryption offers complete protection between endpoints (senders and recipients). Encryption starts on the user’s device, ensuring emails can’t be deciphered until they reach the recipient with the decryption key.Even if someone intercepted a message, all they would see is unintelligible cipher text. Experts agree that this form of protection could have prevented the aforementioned Yahoo breach and kept users’ data safe.Most Big Tech platforms don’t support E2EE by default. You only get encryption in transit, so there’s nothing to protect your emails while resting on the providers’ servers.That is why many users choose privacy-focused email providers with built-in E2EE. Still, not every platform is the same, as E2EE implementation practices can vary significantly. Some options use protocols like PGP and S/MIME, which are stronger than Yahoo’s protection but not without flaws.If you need a secure email provider with cutting-edge encryption that gives you complete privacy and control of your data, check out Skiff Mail.Fortify your correspondence with Skiff Mail
Skiff Mail is an end-to-end encrypted email service providing top-notch protection of your emails from the moment you compose them until they reach the recipient. Each email is encrypted on your device with an encryption key shared with the recipient, who deciphers it using a separate decryption key stored on their device.Thanks to this mechanism, your emails are unreadable to anyone but the intended recipient—including Skiff’s team. Your correspondence is confidential, so you can safely send private information and files.Confidential login, robust account security
Besides offering strong email protection, Skiff secures each account with additional measures. The Secure Remote Password algorithm lets you sign up without leaving any personal information, so you can stay anonymous. Your login credentials won’t be stored on Skiff’s servers, giving you’ll have complete control of your data.To help prevent phishing and similar password attacks, Skiff offers two-factor authentication (2FA). You can add another security layer to your account using the Authenticator app, so there is no need to leave your phone number.Numerous features packed in a modern user interface
Whether you need a personal or business email service, Skiff has all you need to complete your tasks without bottlenecks. Thanks to a functional user interface, every feature is intuitive and easy to navigate.On top of advanced built-in security, you get the following:- Fast email and text search
- 10 GB of end-to-end encrypted storage
- Four Skiff.com aliases
- Five folders and labels
- Custom signatures
- Schedule and undo send
- Integration with various crypto wallets (MetaMask, Brave, Keplr, etc.)
Four end-to-end encrypted platforms at no cost
Everything you’ve seen so far comes with Skiff’s robust free plan. When you sign up, you’ll automatically get access to three additional end-to-end encrypted products:The following table outlines the key features of each platform:| Skiff Pages | Skiff Drive | Skiff Calendar |
| Advanced text editor | End-to-end encrypted file storage | Automatic syncing with Skiff Mail |
| Invite-based collaboration | E2EE link sharing | Customizable layout |
| Secure file sharing | Optional IPFS integration | Built-in video conferencing tool |
| Version history | File organization features | Shared calendars |
Sign up for Skiff and enjoy peace of mind
If you want to create a secure online workspace and minimize the chances of data leaks or similar issues, you can get started on Skiff in three steps:- Go to the signup page
- Choose your account name and password
- Explore Skiff Mail and other secure platforms
