Suppose you’ve decided to delete Instagram, whether because you’ve outgrown the necessity for a certain finsta or because its parent firm Meta is courting controversy again. In that case, it isn’t as quick or easy as it should be.
Until recently, it couldn’t even be accomplished from within the Instagram app.
If you’d like, go ahead and take a wink to make an obligatory “I’m deleting Instagram” post. After that, you have two modes you can go about it.
The most effortless way for iPhone users to delete Instagram is by using the app. To do so, go to your profile, click the hamburger menu in the top right, and choose Settings. Then proceed to Account, and scroll down to the base of the menu. There will be a Delete Account key under the Branded Content key.
If you keep it, tapping on it will get up a menu asking if you would like to delete or deactivate your Account you can also read about those other possibilities in the “Temporarily suspending your Instagram account” faction of this how-to. Pressing the Delete account button will send a message saying you can prevent the deletion process by a specific date if you log back in.
Click the ” Continue deleting account ” button, and the app will unlock a webpage. Here, you can finish the deletion process after responding to a question about why you’re deleting your Account and enter your password to verify.
Apple’s rules suggest that Instagram’s iOS app has to allow you to delete your account. Unfortunately, the option hasn’t always been open on the Android version of the app. You can study for the Delete Account option by following the pedagogy for iOS above, but if you don’t own it, you’ll have to do it utilizing the web.
If you can’t utilize the app to delete your Account, you’ll maintain to follow these steps to ditch it they can be tracked using a computer or phone, as long as you’re using a browser.
First, you’ll have to go to Instagram’s particular account removal request page, which can be found here, or by pursuing the link in Instagram’s account deletion help article. Next, you’ll have to enter your credentials if you’re not logged in to Instagram for the web (most people won’t be). You’ll likely have to put in your password twice throughout the deletion process, so now’s a good time to ensure you know what it is.
Instagram will demonstrate to you what Account you’re about to delete and ask why.
It would help if you finished up on a page with the old Instagram logo and a dropdown asking why you would like to delete your account. Then, depending on your choice, you may be shown different links to Instagram’s help center swearing to fix your problems or a message helpfully reminding you to review which Account you’re erasing.
A box below the links will ask you to reenter your password. After you do, click the button that displays Delete (your account name) and ensure that you’re sure.
Clicking the delete switch after entering your password will give you one last confirmation pop-up.
As Instagram displays a few times on the account deletion page, your data won’t be directly erased Meta will keep it for approximately 30 days. But your profile and posts will be concealed on the site.
If you’re entirely breaking up with Instagram, don’t ignore removing the app from your phone as well. Doing so will hold you a little space and create friction between you and signing back up for the service.
Be mindful that you won’t be able to get your account as before if it’s been over 30 days since you requested Instagram to delete it. Instead, you’ll have to recreate your account.
You can restore your account in 30 days by logging back in.
However, if you’re within those 30 days, you can get your Account back, along with its posts and DMs. To do so, go back to Instagram and log in with your credentials. You’ll notice a message saying that you ordered your account to be deleted, along with the date your data will be shifted. Just press the “Keep Account” button to keep that from happening.
You can suspend your account if you want to remove your account from public view, but you don’t like to permanently delete all your photos and messages.
The screen to stop your Account is relatively easy to access, but you’ll own to do it through a web browser.
Again, Meta makes you utilize the web version of Instagram instead of the app, but at least you won’t bear to get a link from a help article.
After logging into Instagram.com, go to your profile and click the Edit Profile switch (if you’re using a mobile browser, you’ll have to tap the settings cog to get the chance).
From there, go to Edit Profile > Temporarily disable my Account (it’ll be an option at the very bottom). As with deleting your Account, you’ll have to select why you’re suspending your Account and put in your password.
Instagram’s “Temporarily disable account” screen.
To re-enable your account, log in using the app or the website. You’ll only be able to discontinue your Account once a week, so if you accidentally log back into your profile, your posts will be back online and visible to followers, at least for a little while.