How to Delete a Yahoo ID & Profile From Yahoo Chat

by Marie Cartwright

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Instant messaging is great for quick communication with friends and colleagues, but sometimes you may want to be a bit less social online. You may have privacy concerns, or you may just wish to be incognito for a while. Whatever the reason, if you want to remove yourself from Yahoo! chat without fully deleting your account, there are steps you can take to fly under the radar. Hiding your profile, removing yourself from member searches and becoming invisible within others' chat windows will make your online presence virtually undetectable.

Step 1

Log in to the Yahoo! homepage within your Internet browser. Click the link that reads, "Hi, [your name]." This will open a drop-down menu. Select "Profile." Your Yahoo! Pulse page will load.

Step 2

Click the "Settings" link in the top right corner. Once the page loads, you will see seven different setting menus. The top left menu is labeled "Privacy." Click the "Change Privacy Settings" link beneath this heading.

Step 3

Uncheck the boxes reading "Allow people to find my profile by searching for my name and info" and "Select the names that people can use to find me on Yahoo!" Disabling these options will block you from public search.

Step 4

Check the box reading "Hide my profile." This will remove your profile from all public searches and contact attempts. Click the purple "Save" button when you are finished.

Step 5

Launch your Yahoo! Messenger client. At the top of the window, you will see a smiley icon that reads "Available." Click this link to open a drop-down menu of status options. There are two different options you can choose from to remove you from public view. The "Invisible" setting will make you appear offline to anybody who has you in their contact list. You can still send and receive chat messages while this mode is active. You can also choose the "Offline" setting. While you will still be signed into your Yahoo! account, chat will be disabled and no one will be able to see you within their chat windows.

About the Author

Marie Cartwright began writing in 2010. Her work has appeared on various websites. Having worked previously in theater administration and Web design, Cartwright now works from her home in Northern California. She also maintains an events website geared toward the science and technology community. Cartwright studied performing arts at the University of San Francisco.

Photo Credits

  • Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images