App Store account deletion requirement: Apple's in-app rule
Sources checked
If your app lets people create an account, Apple's guideline 5.1.1(v) requires that they can also start deleting that account from inside the app. Google Play has the same rule and adds one more: a web page where people can ask for their account and data to be deleted, so the request still works after they uninstall the app.
Why it matters
Apple reviews every submission against this rule. It is also specific about what counts. Offering only to deactivate or disable an account is not enough, because the option has to delete the whole account record along with its personal data. Accounts the app creates on its own, sometimes called guest accounts, count too.
Apple expects the flow to be easy to finish. Unless your app is in a highly regulated industry, people shouldn't have to phone you, send an email or go through a support chat to delete an account. If deletion takes time, you tell people how long it will take and confirm when it's done. If someone has an auto-renewing subscription, Apple asks you to tell them that billing continues through Apple until they cancel it.
Google Play goes further. Apps with accounts need an easy path inside the app and a working web page where people can request deletion, and the page is part of the app's Data safety answers. When someone asks, the data tied to the account has to be deleted too. You may keep some of it for security, fraud prevention or legal reasons, as long as you tell people what you keep.
Who it applies to
It applies to every app that lets people sign up, whether with an email and password, a social login, or an account the app creates in the background. On Google Play it applies even when most of the app works without an account.
On Google Play, private apps and enterprise device management apps are exempt. Apps for screens without a phone app, such as a TV or a watch, still need the web page.
Common questions
Is deactivating the account enough?
No. Apple says that only offering to temporarily deactivate or disable an account is not enough. The account record and its personal data have to be deleted.
Can I send people to my website to delete their account?
Apple allows it when people need a website to finish the deletion, as long as the app links straight to the page where they complete it. Google Play requires the web page as well as the path inside the app.
Does deleting an account delete what people posted?
Apple says yes. People expect all data tied to their account to be deleted with it, including photos, videos, text posts and reviews they shared.
Where launchpad comes in
launchpad checks an app with sign-up for deletion inside the app before you submit, and adds the deletion page Google Play asks for beside your support page.
Sources
- App Review Guidelines 5.1.1, Data Collection and Storage
- Apple Developer Support: Offering account deletion in your app
- Play Console Help: Understanding Google Play account deletion requirements
Each source was read on the vendor's own site on October 17, 2026.
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