Whether you just need a break or want to walk away for good, we’ll show you how to deactivate or delete your Instagram account.Whether you just need a break or want to walk away for good, we’ll show you how to deactivate or delete your Instagram account. Whether you just need a break or want to walk away for good, we’ll show you how to deactivate or delete your Instagram account.
Instagram can be a lot of fun, but as any form of social media goes, it comes with the potential for its own type of addiction that can be damaging to your mental health. Even the built-in app limits you can put in place on iOS and Android are a bit too easy to deactivate.
Mental health effects notwithstanding, Instagram just isn’t what it used to be. Originally a unique and streamlined photo-sharing app, the Meta-owned Instagram feels like a lot of other social platforms now.
Instagram has had multiple data breaches that have exposed personal user data online in the past. Coupled with the new policy changes Meta has announced, including getting rid of fact checking and lifting restrictions on certain hot-button topics like immigrations and gender, some of you may be considering an extended break from its platforms, including Facebook, or leaving them altogether.
Whether you just want to take a break from the ‘Gram or say goodbye forever, we have you covered below.
For more, don’t miss CNET’s Patrick Holland’s experience when he deleted his Instagram account, and here’s how to do a social media detox for better mental health.
First up, delete or deactivate your account?
The first thing you’ll need to decide is whether you just want to take a break or to completely delete your account.
If you find yourself struggling to put down Instagram and immediate FOMO when you’re not scrolling through it, maybe consider deleting it. If you’re looking to take a break without immediate access, temporarily disabling your account may be the way to go. That you’ll have to sort out for yourself.
Deactivating your account will simply hide it from everyone else on the platform until you’re ready to come back. Once you’re ready for more Instagram action, log in again and everything will be waiting for you.
If you’re ready to let go for good, permanently deleting your account is, well, permanent. If you delete your account and decide to come back, you might be able to nab your old user name as long as someone else hasn’t claimed it, but you’ll still have to set it up as a new account.
In either case, for iPhone users you can do this right in the app. For Android users, you’ll need to take the steps on the web.
Request your data before you deactivate or delete
If you’re planning on permanently deleting your Instagram account, you should request your data so you can have access to the photos and videos you’ve uploaded to your account. After your account has been deleted, you won’t be able to get any of your data back, so it’s something you should at least consider, especially if you uploaded a lot of content.
You can request your data from Instagram at any time.
How to request your data from the Instagram app settings:
- Go to your profile.
- Tap on the menu icon on the top right (three stacked lines).
- Scroll to the How you use Instagram section.
- Tap Your Activity.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Download your information.
- Tap the Download or transfer information button.
- Tap All available information or some of your information.
How to request your data from a web browser
- Click the menu button (three stacked lines) at the bottom left.
- Click Your activity.
- Click Continue to be taken to the Accounts Center.
- Click Download or transfer information.
- Click All available information or Some of your information.
From there, you’ll be asked whether you want to download the information to your device or transfer to a destination like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Finally, on the Create files to download screen, you can choose the date range, the email address where you’d like to be notified when the data is ready, the format (HTML or JSON) and the media quality of the download. Click Create files to schedule the request.
It could take up to 48 hours for you to receive the download link, depending on how much data you have in your account.
How to permanently delete your Instagram account
Once you’ve received your data to download, you can now proceed to delete or deactivate your account.
How to delete your account from the iPhone app:
- Go to your profile.
- Tap on the menu icon on the top right (three stacked lines).
- Tap Accounts Center.
- Tap Personal Details.
- Tap Account ownership and control.
- Tap Deactivation or deletion.
- Tap the account you want to delete.
- Tap Delete account.
- Enter your password.
- Select a reason why you’re deleting your account.
- Confirm permanent account deletion by clicking Delete account.
How to delete your Instagram account from the web:
- Click the menu button (three stacked lines) at the bottom left.
- Click the Accounts Center box.
- Click Personal details.
- Click Account ownership and control.
- Click the account you want to delete.
- Tap Delete account.
- Enter your password.
- Select a reason why you’re deleting your account.
- Confirm permanent account deletion by clicking Delete account.
After you’ve submitted the account deletion request, you have 30 days to change your mind and restore the account. After 30 days, the account deletion process will begin and you won’t be able to restore the account or submit a data request.
How to temporarily disable your Instagram account
If you don’t think you can permanently part ways with Instagram, you can just as easily deactivate your account instead.
How to deactivate your account from the iPhone app:
- Go to your profile.
- Tap on the menu icon on the top right (three stacked lines).
- Tap Accounts Center.
- Tap Personal Details.
- Tap Account ownership and control.
- Tap Deactivation or deletion.
- Tap the account you want to deactivate.
- Tap Deactivate account.
- Enter your password.
- Select a reason why you’re deactivating your account.
- Confirm account deactivation by tapping Deactivate account.
How to deactivate your Instagram account from the web:
- Those using the Android app will need to follow these instructions.
- Click the menu button (three stacked lines) at the bottom left.
- Click the Accounts Center box.
- Click Personal details.
- Click Account ownership and control.
- Click the account you want to deactivate.
- Tap Deactivate account.
- Enter your password.
- Select a reason why you’re deactivating your account.
- Confirm account deactivation by tapping Deactivate account.
That’s it, you’re free from Instagram for as long as you want to be.
For more, check out the latest on TikTok’s future.