How to Delete Your Personal Information

Mercury is designed with a "data on device" architecture. This means all of your personal information, including your identity, contacts, and message history, is stored only on your device. We do not keep a copy on our servers.

This architecture gives you complete control over your data and makes deletion simple and absolute.

The Deletion Process

To permanently delete all information associated with your Mercury identity, follow these steps:

Method 1: Uninstall the Application (Recommended)

1. Find the Mercury app icon on your device's home screen or app drawer.
2. Press and hold the app icon.
3. Select the "Uninstall" or "Delete App" option from the menu that appears.
4. Confirm the uninstallation.

When you uninstall the application, your device's operating system will delete the app itself along with all of its associated data, including the encrypted database containing your identity, contacts, and messages.

Method 2: Clear Application Data

If you wish to start fresh without uninstalling and reinstalling the app, you can clear its data. This will have the same effect as a fresh install.

1. Go to your device's Settings.
2. Navigate to Apps or Application Manager.
3. Find and select Mercury from the list of installed applications.
4. Tap on Storage & cache.
5. Select Clear storage (or "Clear data").
6. Confirm the action.

Important Considerations

This action is irreversible. Once you delete the app's data, your cryptographic identity is gone forever unless you have a backup of your 12-word recovery phrase or a full encrypted backup file. Without a backup, you will not be able to communicate with your existing contacts, and they will not be able to message you.

What About Your Contacts?

When you delete your data, your information is removed from your device only. Your public ID and any messages you sent will remain on your contacts' devices until they choose to delete them.