Mastodon
  • What is Mastodon?
  • Using Mastodon
    • Signing up for an account
    • Setting up your profile
    • Posting toots
    • Using the network features
    • Dealing with unwanted content
    • Promoting yourself and others
    • Set your preferences
    • More settings
    • Using Mastodon externally
    • Moving or leaving accounts
    • Running your own server
  • Running Mastodon
    • Preparing your machine
    • Installing from source
    • Configuring your environment
    • Installing optional features
      • Full-text search
      • Hidden services
      • Single Sign On
    • Setting up your new instance
    • Using the admin CLI
    • Upgrading to a new release
    • Backing up your server
    • Migrating to a new machine
    • Scaling up your server
    • Moderation actions
    • Troubleshooting errors
      • Database index corruption
  • Developing Mastodon apps
    • Getting started with the API
    • Playing with public data
    • Obtaining client app access
    • Logging in with an account
    • Guidelines and best practices
    • Libraries and implementations
  • Contributing to Mastodon
    • Technical overview
    • Setting up a dev environment
    • Code structure
    • Routes
    • Bug bounties and responsible disclosure
  • Spec compliance
    • ActivityPub
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    • Bearcaps
  • REST API
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    • apps
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Moving or leaving accounts

Take your information and do what you want with it.

    • Exporting your information
    • Redirecting or moving your profile
    • Deleting your account

Exporting your information

The data export page in settings

The data export page in settings

At any time you want, you can go to Settings > Export and download a CSV file for your current followed accounts, your currently created lists, your currently blocked accounts, your currently muted accounts, and your currently blocked domains. Your following, blocking, muting, and domain-blocking lists can be imported at Settings > Import, where they can either be merged or overwritten.

Requesting an archive of your toots and media can be done once every 7 days, and can be downloaded in ActivityPub JSON format. Mastodon currently does not support importing toots or media due to technical limitations, but your archive can be viewed by any software that understands how to parse ActivityPub documents.

Redirecting or moving your profile

From the bottom of Settings > Account, you can find options related to account redirection or migration.

Profile redirect

Profile redirect form

Profile redirect form

Redirecting your account disables posting from that account and displays a “profile moved” notice indicating your new account. Anyone viewing your profile can see this notice and will know to follow you at your new account. Following redirected accounts is not possible. The redirect can be canceled at any time.

Profile move

Profile move form

Profile move form

Moving your account is the same as redirecting your account, but it will also irreversibly force everyone to unfollow your current account and follow your new account, if their software supports the Move activity. Your toots will not be moved, due to technical limitations. There is also a very heavy cooldown period in which you cannot migrate again, so be very careful before using this option!

Account aliases

Alias management screen

Alias management screen

Profile moves can only be initiated when your two accounts have been aliased. Account aliases are currently not used for anything other than profile moves, where you will need to set your old account as an alias of your new account before initiating the move. Setting aliases is harmless and reversible on its own.

Deleting your account

Account deletion form

Account deletion form

From the bottom of Settings > Account, you can find the form to delete your account. Deleting your account is irreversible, and will cause both your profile and username to become forever unusable.

Last updated December 27, 2020 · Improve this page
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