What this task is, and what it is not
Retiring an old profile has two separate parts: getting a copy of the information you want to keep, and deciding what happens to the account itself. This guide covers the first part only. An export is a snapshot you hold; it does not close the account, and it is not proof that anything has been deleted.
Medium’s privacy policy describes exporting account information through the signed-in Settings page. Source
The source supports the route — the signed-in Settings page — not a complete list of what a file will contain, and not a processing time. Plan around that uncertainty rather than assuming a fixed turnaround.
Before you start: confirm which account you are retiring
People often have more than one sign-in path or an old address still attached to a profile. A mistake here means you export the wrong account and lose access to the one you meant to keep.
| Check | Why it matters | What to do if it fails |
|---|---|---|
| You can sign in now | The export route starts from a signed-in session | Recover access first; do not retire anything until you can sign in |
| The profile shown is the one you mean to retire | Similar display names are easy to confuse | Note the handle and profile details you see while signed in |
| You control the email or login method on the account | You may need it for confirmation or later access | Update it to a mailbox you control before requesting anything |
| You have somewhere private to store the archive | Exports can contain personal information | Choose a location only you can open |
Keep the account and its recovery method intact until the export is in your hands and you have checked it. Do not delete a recovery email or phone number while the request is still pending.
The export-before-retirement checklist
- Sign in to the account you intend to retire. Confirm the profile details match the one you mean, and write down the handle you see.
- Open the account settings area while signed in. The policy describes the export route as living on the signed-in Settings page; follow the current on-screen path rather than an old tutorial.
- Request the export of your account information. Do not ask anyone else to request it on your behalf, and do not send your credentials to a third party.
- Record what you requested and when. A short note — date, account handle, what you asked for — helps you follow up if nothing arrives.
- Keep signing in normally while you wait. The policy does not state a processing time, so there is no deadline to chase. Do not close the account to “speed it up.”
- Download the archive to a device you control. Avoid shared or public computers, and avoid forwarding it through channels you would not use for other personal documents.
- Verify the archive locally before you rely on it. See the checks below.
- Only then decide what happens to the profile. Export and deletion are separate decisions; this guide does not cover deletion.
Verifying the archive on your own device
An export is only useful if it opens and contains what you expected. Check it before you treat the task as finished.
- Does the file open? Try the format on the device you intend to keep it on, not just the one you downloaded it with.
- Is it complete enough for your purpose? If you are retiring the profile to preserve writing, confirm the items you care about are present. The policy does not promise a specific inventory, so check against your own list rather than an assumed one.
- Is it readable later? Store it somewhere you can still open in a few years, and keep a second copy if the material matters to you.
- Is it private? Exports can include account information. Do not upload them to public sharing services or attach them to public posts.
If something is missing or the file will not open, go back to the signed-in Settings route and check the current options before assuming the request failed.
Common failure paths
| Situation | Likely cause | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| You cannot find the export option | Menus change; an old guide may describe a route that no longer matches | Look through the current signed-in settings rather than following a saved tutorial |
| You are signed in to the wrong account | Multiple sign-ins or an old session | Sign out, sign in with the account you mean to retire, and confirm the profile |
| The archive never seems to arrive | No processing time is stated, and delivery details are not covered by the source | Check the account and the contact method you control; keep access intact |
| You already removed a recovery method | Access may now be harder to restore | Restore a recovery method you control before continuing |
| You want the profile gone as well | Export and deletion are different actions | Treat deletion as a separate decision with its own checks |
What the policy says about information that remains
Even after an account is deleted, the policy leaves room for some information to persist. That is one more reason not to treat an export as a deletion receipt.
Medium’s policy says some information can remain after account deletion where required by law or for legitimate business purposes. Source
If your reason for retiring the profile is that you want particular material gone, the export step alone does not achieve that, and this guide does not promise erasure.
Where a public-username check fits — and where it does not
A username lookup can show whether a handle appears on public pages elsewhere. That is a lead for your own review, not proof that a profile belongs to you or to anyone else, and it cannot open account settings or retrieve private data.
TraceSeek, the app covered by TruthsSeek, checks a known username across 3,000+ platforms and returns a first scan free in 20–30 seconds, according to the product. It is optional here. It cannot request an export, sign in for you, verify a real identity, or guarantee that anything is removed. Use it only if you want to see where a public handle appears while you plan the retirement.
A short recap
Sign in to the right account, request the export from the signed-in Settings page, keep access and recovery methods until the archive is checked, and store the copy privately. Treat the export as a record you keep, not as closure, and remember that some information can remain after deletion where the policy allows it.