This is how to delete your Houseparty account as makers deny hacking claims

This is how to delete your Houseparty account (Photo: Shutterstock)This is how to delete your Houseparty account (Photo: Shutterstock)
This is how to delete your Houseparty account (Photo: Shutterstock)

Houseparty is a video chatting app that had been gaining popularity as more and more people look for the best ways to keep in touch with friends remotely.

However, the app has been slammed with hacking rumours, which have been denied by its creators.

But are the accusations true, is the app safe and how do you delete your account if you decide to? Here’s what you should know.

Has Houseparty been hacked?

Rumours have been circulating on social media, claiming that the Houseparty app had been hacked.

On Monday 30 March, the Houseparty Twitter account posted this statement: “All Houseparty accounts are safe - the service is secure, has never been compromised, and doesn’t collect passwords for other sites.”

However, this invited responses from others on the social media platform to reply.

One person wrote: “Don’t know who to believe, the thousands who got hacked or Houseparty?”

Another tweeted: “Until you can prove that and tell us why everyone is getting hacked, I have deleted my account and the app.”

Others posted on Twitter screenshots that supposedly showed “proof” of a hack, like getting locked out of applications such as Netflix, Spotify and even bank accounts after they downloaded the video chatting app.

While you can link your Houseparty app to other social media platforms like Snapchat and Facebook, the app doesn’t access third party apps like Netflix or Spotify.

What is Houseparty doing to reassure its users?

In response to the claims that thousands of Houseparty accounts had been hacked, Houseparty said on Twitter: “We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumours were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to [email protected].”

A spokesperson for Epic Games, the owners of Houseparty, said: “We’ve found no evidence to suggest a link between Houseparty and the compromises of other unrelated accounts.

“As a general rule, we suggest all users choose strong passwords when creating online accounts on any platform."

How do I delete my account?

Despite Houseparty reassuring users that their accounts are safe, some users are still opting to delete their accounts.

If you want to delete yours, here’s how to do it:

- Enter the app and click on the smiley face symbol in the top left corner of the screen- This will take you to your friends list - from here, click the red gear/settings button in the top left corner- Select ‘Privacy’- Click ‘Delete account’- Select ‘Yes’ and then enter your password

Some Twitter users have encountered issues when entering their passwords for the final step, saying that they’ve been told their password is wrong when they know it’s correct.

One user tweeted: “If you put your password in 3 times (even though it says “incorrect password”) it’ll say “you’re breaking our hearts” and you can then click “delete” and your account will be deactivated x”.

Why can’t I delete my account on Android?

At the moment, Android users cannot delete their accounts following the previously outlined instructions.

Instead, Android users will need to email a request to the support team to delete an account.

If you’re using an Android phone and want to delete the Houseparty app, you should email [email protected] and ask for your account to be deleted.

Your email should say that you want your account deleted immediately, and you should also provide your name, phone number, email address and username.

You might not receive a reply straight away. In the meantime, you can uninstall the app.

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