How to delete your Instagram account

Why get rid of Instagram?

Instagram can be used for good, but using it comes with a cost. Most Instagram users are fleeing the platform because:

• Users feel like they are wasting too much time scrolling through a never-ending column of photos;
• It’s bad for their mental health and overall well-being;
• They have privacy concerns – they don’t want websites and social media platforms to gather that much information about them;
• They don’t trust Instagram with their data. In May 2019, Instagram leaked private details of 49 million users. Its owner Facebook has also been hitting the headlines with one online privacy scandal after another.

How to delete your Instagram account permanently

Deleting your account means that your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed. Before you click delete, you might want to consider downloading your data. Once it’s gone, you won’t be able to recover any information, create a new account using the same username, or add it to another account.

1. Sign in to your Instagram account on a web browser (computer, tablet or mobile). Unfortunately, you cannot remove your account from the Instagram mobile app;
2. Click on this link to go to Delete Your Account page as you cannot access it from your profile;
3. Select a reason for deleting your account from the dropdown menu and re-enter your account password. Then click Permanently Delete My Account.

How to deactivate Instagram account

If you just want a temporary break, deactivation is your best bet. This will simply make your data invisible to others. Next time you log in, your account will be reactivated and your content will be waiting for you.

1. Sign in to your Instagram account on a web browser (computer, tablet or mobile). Unfortunately, you cannot remove your account from the Instagram mobile app.
2. Click on your user icon in the top right-hand corner and select Edit Profile.

3. At the bottom of the Edit Profile screen, tap or click on Temporarily disable my account.

4. Select a reason for disabling your account from the dropdown menu. Then re-enter your password when prompted. Tap or click the Temporarily Disable Account button

Other social media profiles

Now that you've deleted Instagram, you may want to look into how to delete other social media platforms. If you don't want to delete your social media footprint entirely, we have plenty of tips for how to make your social media profiles more private.

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