Want to remove your ExpressVPN account information from the provider’s file, but don’t know how? We assume you already moved on to greener pastures or chose to stop your ExpressVPN subscription. Maybe you’ve heard that a top ExpressVPN executive was a mercenary hacker for the UAE government? Regardless, you have the right to request information removal. That way, it’s less likely to end up as part of a data leak or be used for advertising purposes, including the provider’s effort to win you back. After all, the VPN service may offer you a special deal to see if you’ll stay. But if your resolution is firm, here’s how to delete your ExpressVPN account.
Why should I delete my online accounts?
You should delete your online account information when you stop using them because of the privacy risk they pose, such as:
- Data leaks. If the service you’re using gets its data invaded and leaked, people that possess it can use the account information for malicious purposes. The information may involve financials, your home address, phone number, and much more.
- Data selling. Many companies earn extra from selling customer data to other companies for marketing and advertising purposes, if not something more malicious.
- Bad account information practices. Having poor passwords or account data saved in a notepad, web browser, or password manager puts you in danger if they are compromised.
Thankfully, the danger isn’t as big with ExpressVPN because of their data logging policy. We explain that next.
What information does ExpressVPN keep about user accounts?
According to the ExpressVPN Privacy Policy, the provider stores some user account information to improve their services and prevent abuse, but cannot identify any of their VPN users. Here are four bits of information ExpressVPN keeps about users:
- Application and application version when activated
- The VPN server location they chose
- Date when users connected to the VPN, but not the time
- Amount of MBs user transfers daily via their VPN network
The provider also saves some miscellaneous and important information, but always anonymously and on a group level, such as analytics about speed tests, crash reports, and failed connections. Users can opt off from these collections in the VPN clients.
Nonetheless, we understand you would want the information you provided while creating an ExpressVPN account gone. That will erase any chance of tying what little data the service has with the information you provided when creating your ExpressVPN account:
- E-mail address
- Password
- Payment information (PayPal, credit cards, cryptocurrency wallet address, other online payments, but not gift cards)
What ExpressVPN doesn’t collect about my user account?
The Privacy Policy provides an exhaustive list, but rest assured that ExpressVPN will not save:
- Connection logs. ExpressVPN won’t collect information about your real IP address, country of origin, timestamps for connecting to their VPN servers and duration, and other identifying information.
- Activity logs. The VPN service won’t keep tabs on the applications you use or the traffic, such as the web pages you visit.
Additionally, ExpressVPN uses TrustedServer technology, meaning their VPN servers operate on RAM (Random Access Memory) rather than storage drives. That means operating systems never write data to storage permanently. Since RAM requires power, as soon as the server machine shuts down, all data is permanently wiped.
1. How to delete the ExpressVPN account on iOS and iPadOS
The only way to directly delete your ExpressVPN account is on Apple mobile devices such as iOS and iPadOS like this:
- Launch the ExpressVPN application on iOS or iPadOS.
- Tap the Options menu item in the bottom right corner.
- Go to Account.
- Find the Delete your account option and select it.
- Choose the Yes, Delete My Account option to confirm.
- Tap Done to finish.
The account data should be purged from Apple servers and ExpressVPN will receive an account removal request shortly. However, please keep in mind that you should cancel your ExpressVPN subscription beforehand. Although you won’t be refunded by ExpressVPN for the remainder of the months, at least you ensure you won’t be charged after deletion. Additionally, if you open the ExpressVPN app and get the “Subscription Expired” screen, you can:
- Select Delete your account.
- Tap on Yes, Delete My Account for confirmation, then pick Done again.
2. Contact ExpressVPN Customer Support to wipe your account data
The only options for non-Apple users are to reach out to ExpressVPN for account removal like this:
- E-mail ExpressVPN Customer Support at [email protected]
- Visit any page on their website and click the Need help? Chat with us! button in the bottom right corner.
In the former case, use the e-mail address tied to your ExpressVPN account to request that they delete your account. In the latter case, make sure to enter the correct email address before you click on the Start Chat button to start talking to a representative. Regardless of the option you use, be concise and answer any questions the Support Team has. They will respond with all feedback regarding your account removal process and notify you when the process is complete.
How do I ensure ExpressVPN removed my personal information?
Unfortunately, there is no way to confirm ExpressVPN erased your account information but to take their word for it. They have a good reputation for respecting user privacy and don’t store a lot of customer information. Thus, it’s safe to assume you can trust ExpressVPN to wipe your personal information from their servers after your request.
