Oh, yes, social media. Folks, sometimes it’s just too much. Meta’s higher-ups have made it very easy to shut down your Instagram account for a while. We advise against deleting your Instagram account in its entirety if you intend to come back to the app in the future, however it is an additional option.
This guide will show you how to turn off Instagram for a minute and delete your account for good.
Temporarily deactivate your Instagram account.
Your profile, photos, likes, and comments will all be hidden until you log in and activate your Instagram account again after a brief period of inactivity. A wonderful diversion from it would be this.
Another option would be to mute a few friends if that is your primary motivation for deactivating your account.
These instructions will only apply if you access Instagram through a method other than a Facebook account. Instagram accounts linked to Facebook must first have their new passwords confirmed before deleting the Facebook account from Instagram.
You’ll need to be able to get into the email account that’s linked to your Instagram account in order to do this. Once your Facebook account is no longer linked to your Instagram account and your Instagram password has been changed, follow these steps to deactivate your Instagram account temporarily.
Please note that the steps below are the best way to turn off Instagram based on the most recent version of its user interface. The steps below might not always work for everyone, though. Even though we were able to confirm the steps below, it’s still not clear if this method actually deletes your Instagram account or just logs you out. Instagram’s Help Center says that this method might not work “at this time.”
Here’s how to deactivate your Instagram account:
Step 1: Use a computer browser to go to Instagram.com.
Sign in to your Instagram account if you still need to do so.
Step 2: Select “Profile” from the menu on the left.
Step 3: To edit your profile, find the “Edit profile” button and click on it.
Step 4: Go to the Accounts Center to learn more.
Step 5: On your account’s Settings page, click on Personal information. Then, pick Account Management and Control from the menu.
Step 6: Select “Deactivation” or “Delete” from the menu that shows. Then, pick the account that you want to close.
Step 7: On the next screen, click Turn off account. Then go to the bottom of the page and click on Stay. You’ll be asked to enter your account password.
Step 8: Now, pick a reason from the list for why you want to delete your Instagram account. After that, click Continue.
Step 9: Click the “Deactivate account” button to make sure that your Instagram account is no longer active.
Step 10: Anyone with a PC, an internet link, and a web browser can follow these steps.
People can delete their Instagram accounts through the Instagram mobile app, which works the same way as steps 1–9. There may be some slight differences between how the Android and iOS versions of Instagram work, but these steps should work for both.
Open the Instagram mobile app and then:
In the bottom right corner, you should see your profile picture. Click on it. To access your accounts center and personal details, click the three-lined icon. Choose “Account management and control” from the menu. Turning off or eliminating.
Then, pick the account that you want to close. Pick “Deactivate account” and then “Continue.” When asked, type in your password and then click Continue. Pick a reason for removing it and click “Continue.”
You can choose “Don’t reactivate automatically” from the drop-down menu or set the choice to reactivate automatically. Click on Continue. Lastly, click Deactivate account to confirm that you want to delete your account.
Permanently delete your Instagram account.
Otherwise, you can delete your Instagram account for good if you’re sure you won’t be back. When you delete your account, everything that was in it will be gone, including your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and friends. Once the process is done, there is no way to get them back. You also won’t be able to use the same username again if someone else signs up with it before you do.
The Instagram help page says there are two ways to delete your account: You can follow the steps we already listed above for deactivation and pick “delete account” instead of “deactivate” when asked, or you can use the other way we describe below.
Here are the steps you need to take to delete your account for good:
Step 1: Go to the page where you can delete your Instagram account. If you haven’t already, sign in to your Instagram account.
Step 2: In the box next to “Why do you want to delete [your username]?” choose an answer.
Step 3: Type in your Instagram password to make sure.
Step 4: Click “Delete” next to your name.
By following the steps above, you will have asked Instagram to delete your account. After 30 days, Instagram will delete your account and all the information in it for good. It says on Instagram that the process could take up to 90 days to finish.
Step 5: You can delete your account through the Instagram mobile app, just like you can deactivate your account.
On iOS, here’s how to do it:
Locate the symbol next to your name that resembles three straight lines and click on it. Click on Account, then Delete Account. Keep deleting the account. Do what it says on the screen. Then select Delete [your username] > OK.
On Android, here’s how to do it: Select the icon that looks like three straight lines next to your name. Click on “Accounts Center,” then “Personal Details,” then “Ownership and Control,” and finally “Deactivation or deletion.”
After that, pick the account you wish to delete. Pick “Delete account” and then “Continue.” Pick a reason to delete > Keep going. Enter your password and click “Continue.” Then click Delete account to make sure you want to delete your account.
For your information, Instagram’s help page says that the steps for Android can also be used for iOS. But some of the steps are different.
