How to delete a Kik account? It’s becoming increasingly difficult to protect children from the dangers lurking online as they start their digital lives so early. Kik is one of the most popular messaging platforms for young people, and parents should be cautious when it comes to instant messaging. So what is Kik? Why is it a potential threat? And how can you delete your Kik account?
What is Kik?
Kik Messenger, also called Kik, is a free mobile messaging app for iOS and Android systems. It can be used to exchange private messages and share videos and photos with other users. Teenagers find it extremely popular.
To use Kik you only need an email, birthdate, and username to log in. That means other users see only minimal information about each other. The app also deletes messages after some time. The app also has a number of privacy issues, including IP logging and a lack of end-to-end encryption.
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Why Should You Delete Your Kik Account?
There are several reasons to delete your Kik account:
- Exploitation and online threats. Child exploitation is a problem on any app that allows people to remain anonymous. That includes Kik and other social media apps. Researchers also have difficulty obtaining data from the company to investigate these cases. However, the company has taken stricter measures to combat these threats.
- Lack of parental control. Teens can use Kik easily without their parents’ assistance. While minors should have their parents’ permission to use the app, they can circumvent it by entering a false birthdate.
- Poor privacy. Since Kik lacks end-to-end encryption, service providers can see all your messages or give them away to third parties. The company can also see your IP address and find out your location. Additionally, a lack of encryption makes it easier for cybercriminals to intercept users’ messages.
- Users cannot verify identities. Users can log into Kik without a valid email address or phone number, so it’s very challenging to verify someone’s identity. The lack of accountability and transparency among users can lead to scams, exploitations, and cyberbullying.
- Lack of transparency. As its code is not open for independent review, Kik is not really transparent. Furthermore, its design is not properly documented, and independent audits were not conducted.
- There are tons of safer messaging apps. For more, check our list of secure messaging apps.
How to Delete a Kik Account Permanently
In order to permanently delete a Kik account, you should:
- Go to Kik’s delete page. Enter your credentials and the reason for leaving, and tick the box below.
- Click Go!
- You will receive an email from Kik. Open it.
- Follow the instructions after tapping Permanently Deactivate.
Your account will be permanently deleted. No longer will you receive notifications, and no one will be able to see your username or profile in the app. It won’t be possible to reactivate your account, so if you want to use the app again, you’ll have to create a new profile. Both Android and iPhone users will need to follow the same steps.
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How to Deactivate a Kik Account?
You’ve just learned how to delete your Kik account. Now let’s see how to deactivate it. Deactivating Kik is a straightforward process.
So what is the contrast between deactivation and deletion? When you deactivate Kik, you stop accepting all correspondence from the app, nobody will be able to find your username, and you won’t appear in contact lists. However, your Kik account is not permanently deleted and will reactivate if you sign in again.
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If you no longer recognize your email address, you won’t be able to delete your account in the usual way. In this case, you could contact Kik support for additional guidance.
How to Delete or Deactivate Your Kid’s Kik Account?
If you wish to delete your child’s Kik account, you can contact the company and make a request. You can also submit a deactivation investigation by sending a message to safety@kik.com with the subject line “Parent Inquiry.” In the message, you will have to specify the reason for deletion and list your child’s Kik username and email. A Kik representative will get back to you shortly.
However, you will even need to know the username and email address your child used to create an account. You can see this information by logging into their Kik account and clicking the gear icon in the top-left corner. There you can see your kid’s display and user names.
You can also delete it through the Kik form mentioned above. You just need to have access to the email account associated with the Kik profile.
Also, keep in your senses that you can’t monitor your kids’ Kik conversations from your device as Kik doesn’t share chat content across devices.
What Can I Do if Someone is Harassing Me on Kik?
If someone is bullying you on Kik, we advise you to do the following:
- Immediately report the bully by sending a message to safety@kik.com. This will get you in touch with Kik’s Safety Center which will handle your situation. You can also easily report a bully in the Kik app by following the user-blocking instructions given below. You just have to select the Report User option instead of blocking;
- Terminate all communication with a harasser. By no means provide them with personal information or agree to meet them in person;
- Inform your parents or guardians if you are underage;
- In more serious cases, contact the local cyber police.
We also advise you to block an irritating user. You can do it by:
- Referring to a chat you had with them;
- Pressing on the username of your friend at the top of the chat;
- Tapping the three vertical dots in the top right corner;
- Click on the Block option and confirm your choice.
If you desire to unblock a user, just navigate to the Block List in Kik’s privacy settings and unblock them by clicking on a specific username.
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How Can I Delete Kik Messages Between Another User and Me?
Kik deletes old messages automatically once you reach the maximum number of them. But if you want to delete your recent messages, you should:
- Open the chat;
- Select the message you wish to delete;
- Long press on it and tap Delete.
If you want to delete an entire conversation:
- Hit on the username of your friend at the top of the chat;
- Tap Delete Chat.
Just keep in mind that this process deletes messages only on your side. This is because Kik stores messages in its cloud, and it’s not possible to delete them on both sides.