Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to delete your Instagram account. Whether you’re taking a social media detox or simply moving on to new digital horizons, this article will provide you with all the necessary steps and tips to make your Instagram account deletion smooth and hassle-free. Let’s dive in!
Before deleting your Instagram account, think carefully about the pros and cons to determine if it’s the right choice for you.
Here are some potential benefits of deleting your Instagram account:
- Less distraction
- Deleting Instagram can help eliminate a major distraction and time sink, allowing you to be more productive and focus on other priorities.
- More privacy
- Removing your Instagram eliminates a public platform broadcasting details about your life which many users ultimately find invasive.
- Improved mental health
- Getting off Instagram can limit unhealthy social media comparisons and negativity that damage self-esteem and mental health for some users.
However, there are also downsides to consider:
- Losing connections
- Deleting your account means giving up connections with friends, family members, brands and followers you enjoy on Instagram. Rebuilding connections can be difficult.
- Disappearing content
- Once your account is deleted, all of your posted content including photos and videos will no longer be available to you or anyone else.
- No going back
- It’s typically impossible to recover a deleted Instagram account. The decision is permanent unless you create a brand new account.
Determine what’s most important, understanding the tradeoffs when making your decision.
How to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account
If you need a break from Instagram but aren’t ready to permanently delete, temporarily disabling your account preserves your profile while making it inaccessible to others.
Here is how to temporarily disable your Instagram account:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page.
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right.
- Scroll down and select Settings.
- Tap Account, then Temporarily disable my account at the bottom.
- Select an option for why you are disabling your account or tap Other.
- Enter your Instagram password to confirm disabling your account.
- Tap Temporarily Disable Account.
Once disabled:
- Your profile, photos/videos and comments will be hidden until you re-enable your account.
- You won’t be able to access Instagram at all while your account is disabled.
- Other people won’t be able to search or find your disabled account.
To recover your account later, simply log back into Instagram with your username and password. Your account will be fully restored with all previous data intact.
There is no limit on how long an Instagram account can stay temporarily disabled before it gets permanently deleted by Instagram, so you control how long of a break you take.
How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account
If you no longer want your Instagram account and its data to exist, you can permanently delete it:
- Back up any data you may want to save from your account such as photos or videos. Once permanently deleted, this data cannot be recovered. You can download a copy of your data from Instagram before deleting your account.
- Open Instagram and go to your profile page. Tap the menu icon and select Settings.
- Tap Account, then scroll down to Delete Your Account at the very bottom.
- Select an option for why you are deleting your account or tap Other.
- Re-enter your password when prompted to confirm you want to permanently delete your account.
- Tap Permanently delete my account.
Once your Instagram account is deleted:
- Your profile will no longer exist on Instagram at all. Your past username can be claimed by someone new.
- All your photos, videos and comments are permanently erased. This data disappears both from your profile and anywhere else it appeared on Instagram.
- You cannot ever recover or reactivate the deleted Instagram account. Creating a new account with the same username is your only option for getting back on the platform after permanently deleting.
FAQs About Deleting Instagram Accounts
Can you recover a deleted Instagram account?
No – there is no way to recover a permanently deleted Instagram account. The profile data is wiped from Instagram’s servers and cannot be retrieved. This is why backing up your profile content beforehand is advised if you have any data you might want to access later.
How long does it take for Instagram to delete your account?
When you request permanent account deletion, Instagram typically deletes your account and all your data within one month after it is first disabled. However, some content may still be visible in places like hashtag/location pages immediately after deletion but is removed within 90 days.
Can someone else claim your username after you delete your account?
Yes – once your permanently deleted Instagram account’s username becomes available again, anyone can create a new account and claim that dormant username for themselves. So if you delete your account, you may want to claim your old username if you create a new Instagram account later on.
Summary
Deleting your Instagram account is permanent – you can’t recover profiles, content or followers once wiped from Instagram’s system. Consider downloading your data beforehand. Temporarily disabling your account provides a non-permanent option to take a break while preserving your profile for later. Carefully weigh the pros and cons before moving forward deleting your Instagram.
