Samsung's fantastic ecosystem allows you to link phones, laptops, and smartwatches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. You connect these devices through your Samsung account, which allows you to locate your lost Samsung phone, use a variety of Samsung-exclusive apps and features, and more.

However, it's time to switch if you plan to change to a different Android phone or have had enough of Samsung handling your data. This guide shows you how to cancel your Samsung account and remove your Samsung account from your phone.

Deleting your Samsung account is a permanent decision. You can't go back once you do it. The information associated with your account is deleted, including cloud storage, Samsung Health data, and purchase history.

How to cancel your Samsung account

The only way to cancel your Samsung account is from a browser. However, it doesn't matter whether you do it from a mobile device or desktop. If you want to remove your Samsung account from your phone, skip to the next section. These instructions were created using a desktop browser. However, the mobile steps are identical.

You can't cancel your Samsung account outside of a browser. However, you can change your account details, like your email address, from your Samsung's settings menu.

  1. Log in to your Samsung account.
  2. On the account homepage, click the block near the upper-left corner with your profile picture and name. This takes you to the Profile page, where you can view and edit your personal information.
    samsung account page with the profile block highlighted
  3. Click the Manage Samsung account button to go to the Samsung account settings page.
    samsung account page with the manage samsung account button highlighted
  4. Click the Delete account button to initiate the deletion process.
    samsung account settings page with the delete account button highlighted
  5. A pop-up asks you to confirm that you understand the consequences of deleting your account.
  6. Click the checkbox to accept the terms and conditions.
    account deletion confirmation page with an acknowledgement of terms and conditions of deletion checkbox and the delete button highlighted
  7. Click Delete. This opens an authentication window asking for your password.
    cancel samsung account authentication pop-up with the password field and delete button highlighted
  8. Enter your Samsung account password in the authentication window and click Done to confirm the deletion.
    samsung account deletion completion page

After deleting your account, you're taken to the confirmation page. You'll also receive an email confirming your account was deleted. You can't recover your account, but you can open a new Samsung account from the account intro page. If you are moving away from Samsung devices altogether, you can now do that with confidence, knowing that Samsung no longer holds your data.

On the other hand, if you are only looking to move to a better Samsung phone, you shouldn't delete the account entirely. This is where you'll want to remove the Samsung account from your phone.

How to remove a Samsung account from your phone

If you're recycling, selling, or giving your Samsung phone away your Samsung phone, we recommend performing a factory reset. This wipes your personal data from your phone, not just your Samsung account. However, if you want to remove your Samsung account, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings and tap the box with your name and profile picture at the top of the page.
  2. Scroll down and tap Sign out to start the account removal process.
  3. You're taken to a page detailing the services you'll lose access to. Scroll down and tap Sign out once more to go to the authentication and confirmation page.
  4. Verify your identity using your fingerprint. Alternatively, use your account password if you don't have biometrics enabled.
  5. Click Okay in the lower-right corner of the screen.
    remove samsung account authentication page with the password field and the OK button highlighted

That's all! You've removed your Samsung account from your device.

If you want to remove your Google account, scroll down to Accounts and backup in the Settings app. Then select your Google account and tap Remove account.

Do you really need a Samsung account anyway?

Whether you delete your Samsung account entirely or remove it from your phone, it's important to remember that you lose all the functionality that came with the account. The most valuable features you lose are Find My Mobile, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Cloud backup and restore functionality.

Google has alternatives for most of these services. You can set up Google's Find My Device if your phone is stolen, and Google Wallet can handle payments. Finally, there's Google Drive to back up your device.