If you have had enough of Instagram, you can either deactivate your account or delete it permanently. Read on to learn all the Instagram removal steps or just to deactivate your account if you want the option to come back.
Whatever your reasoning, whether it’s privacy concerns, mental health issues, or productivity issues, there are many benefits to deleting your Instagram account. Unfortunately, you can’t do this from the app, so follow these steps if you want to learn how to delete Instagram permanently.
Key points to remember:
- If you are fed up with Instagram, you can either deactivate your account or delete it permanently.
- Before deleting your account, it is advisable to upload your data through the Instagram app.
- Once you are ready to delete or deactivate your account, you will need to do so through a web browser.
There are two options if you are looking to get social media out of your life: permanent and temporary. We’ll show you how to do both, as well as how to download your Instagram data so that you don’t lose access to the photos or videos you’ve posted over the years.
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You can not. To delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you will need to visit the account deletion page with a web browser.
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There are different but equally valid reasons to get rid of your Instagram account. If you’re concerned about digital privacy, it’s a bad idea to allow the app to transmit your images, location data, and communications to its parent company, Meta (formerly Facebook). Another reason is the potential for adverse effects on your mental health from using social media.
How to delete Instagram: first download your data
You may want to download your Instagram data before deleting your account permanently. Once you’re done, all of your messages, stories, and chats will be permanently deleted, with no way to reverse the process.
Doing it is relatively straightforward. Open the Instagram app on your phone, press three line menu icon top right and press “settings”. Of the, select “security”, so “Download data”.
Check that the email displayed is the correct one and press “request download”. You will receive a copy of your data within 48 hours. The email will contain all the photos you posted, but not your messages.
How to permanently delete your Instagram account
While you can request your data through the mobile app, you’ll need to turn to the Instagram website through a web browser – on a computer or mobile device – to delete your account.
- Sign into your account
- Select a reason to delete your account
You will now see a drop-down menu. Here you can select one of the eight options for why do you want to delete your account. Select one of them.
- Enter your password and delete your account
Your Instagram account will now be invisible to other users, including your followers. If you change your mind about deleting your account, you have 30 days to log back in with your username and password to reverse the deletion.
How to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account
If the permanent deletion of your account seems a little too permanent, you can also temporarily deactivate your Instagram account, which gives you the option of reactivating it later. As with deleting an account, you will need to do it on your computer or through a mobile browser.
- Log into your Instagram account
Go to instagram.com on your computer’s web browser or on a mobile browser. Enter your login details and click on the “Connect” button.
- Access your profile
Click on your profile picture at the top right of the browser window and Choose a profile. “
- Edit your profile
Once on your profile page, click on the button that says “Edit profile.”
- Request to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says “Temporarily deactivate my account”.
- Provide a reason to deactivate your account
Select an option from the drop-down menu. You will then be asked to Enter your password again. Do it and then click or tap the button that says “Temporarily deactivate the account”.
With this, your Instagram account is deactivated. This means that it won’t be searchable by other users, and you won’t be able to reconnect without re-enabling it.
Final thoughts: leaving Instagram
Overall, deleting or deactivating your Instagram account is a fairly straightforward process. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this in the iPhone or Android app, but having to use a browser only makes the removal process a bit more complicated.
What did you think of our guide to delete your Instagram account? Did the step by step guide clarify the process or are you still having difficulty? Finally, what made you want to delete or deactivate Instagram? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading.
