There are two ways to “leave” a Slack workspace on an iPhone or iPad, and they do different things. Signing out just removes the workspace from your Slack app; you’re still a member and can sign back in. Leaving the workspace for good means deactivating your account for that workspace, which you do from Slack’s account settings in a web browser: open Slack in Safari, go to your profile, choose Account settings, and click Deactivate your account.
If you only want to stop seeing one conversation, you can leave a channel instead. All three options are explained below.
Leave vs sign out vs leave a channel
| Action | What happens | Can you undo it? |
|---|---|---|
| Sign out of a workspace | The workspace disappears from your app. You stay a member. | Yes, sign back in any time |
| Deactivate your account (leave) | You’re removed from the workspace and can’t access its messages. | Only if an admin reactivates you or invites you back |
| Leave a channel | You stop getting that channel’s messages. You stay in the workspace. | Yes, rejoin public channels any time |
How to sign out of a Slack workspace on iPhone or iPad
Use this if you’re done with a workspace on your phone but don’t want to leave it everywhere.
- Open the Slack app and switch to the workspace you want to remove.
- Tap the You tab (your profile picture) at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap Sign out of followed by the workspace name.
- Tap Sign Out to confirm.
The workspace is removed from the app on that device only. You’re still a member and can still use it on your computer.
How to leave a Slack workspace permanently
Slack handles leaving a workspace through account deactivation. The option is on Slack’s website, and you can get there from your iPhone’s browser.
- Open Safari and go to your workspace’s Slack address, such as yourteam.slack.com. Sign in if asked.
- If Safari tries to open the Slack app, choose to continue in the browser instead. You can also request the desktop site from the aA menu in the address bar.
- Click your profile picture, then click Profile.
- Click the three dots (More) and choose Account settings.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Deactivate your account.
- Enter your password if asked and confirm.
This removes you from that one workspace. Any other workspaces you belong to aren’t affected, and your messages stay in the workspace’s history.
If you don’t see Deactivate your account
- You’re the Primary Owner: Slack doesn’t let the Primary Owner leave. Transfer ownership to someone else in the workspace settings first.
- Your organization manages accounts: Many company workspaces, especially ones with single sign-on or on Enterprise Grid, only let admins deactivate members. Ask your Slack admin to remove you.
- You’re a guest: Guests may need an admin to remove them, depending on the workspace’s settings.
How to leave a Slack channel on iPhone or iPad
- Open the channel in the Slack app.
- Tap the channel name at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap Leave channel, then confirm.
You can’t leave the workspace’s default general channel. If a channel is just noisy, you can mute it from the same screen instead of leaving.
Just want a break? Pause notifications instead
If a workspace is distracting but you still need it, you don’t have to leave. Slack has a few ways to quiet it down on your iPhone:
- Pause notifications: Tap the You tab, tap Pause notifications, and pick how long. Slack won’t send alerts until the time is up.
- Set a notification schedule: On the You tab, tap Notifications and set the hours when you want to get alerts, such as weekdays from 9 to 5.
- Turn off mobile alerts for one workspace: In the same Notifications screen, choose to get notifications only for direct messages and mentions, or nothing at all.
- Use an iPhone Focus: Create a Work Focus in Settings > Focus and leave Slack off the allowed apps list for evenings and weekends.
Remove Slack from your iPhone completely
If you’ve left every workspace you used, you can delete the app. Touch and hold the Slack icon on your Home Screen, tap Remove App, then Delete App. This removes Slack and its downloaded files from your phone. It doesn’t affect any workspace memberships you haven’t deactivated.
What happens when you leave a workspace
- You lose access to all channels, direct messages and files in that workspace.
- Messages you sent stay in the workspace for other members to see.
- Slack doesn’t send a special announcement, but other members can see that your account is deactivated.
- Your Slack accounts in other workspaces keep working normally.
- If you paid for the workspace, deactivating your own account doesn’t cancel the subscription. Owners need to change billing in the workspace settings.
Related: fix Slack not making a notification sound.
Frequently asked questions
Does Slack notify people when I leave a workspace?
No message is posted to channels when you deactivate your account, but your profile shows as deactivated and admins can see the change.
Can I rejoin a Slack workspace after leaving?
Yes, if an admin reactivates your account or sends you a new invitation. For public workspaces with open sign-up, you may be able to rejoin with an approved email address.
Will deleting the Slack app remove me from my workspaces?
No. Deleting the app only removes it from your phone. You stay a member of every workspace until you deactivate your account.
How do I delete my whole Slack account?
Slack accounts belong to each workspace, so there’s no single account to delete. Deactivate your account in each workspace you want to leave.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.