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How long to delete instagram account


How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account (2022)

Of course, there comes a time when you might want to disconnect from your social platforms, and not just temporarily. More often than ever, people are choosing to delete their social media presence to live a life less focused on online culture. Whether you’re trying to protect your future job aspects by deleting your social media or just reaching for your phone a little bit less, deleting your social media accounts may lead to a healthier life.

Permanently deleting your Instagram account may seem like a significant step, but it’s easy to carry out if you’re ready to be free of your profile and get some spare time back in your life. Let’s look at how to delete your Instagram account permanently.

Save Your Instagram Data before Deleting Your Account

Before you act out of frustration or want to make a move to delete your Instagram account permanently, it is a good idea to back up your Instagram data. You can’t add it back later, and you may have valuable photos, interactions, and friends. When you delete your account, Instagram will do just that, delete your account and everything in it, including your photos, likes, comments, and friends. To save your account data, follow these steps:

  1. Open Instagram and tap the profile icon in the lower right corner.
  2. Tap the hamburger icon (Menu) in the top right corner, then tap Settings at the bottom.
  3. Select Security, then tap the Download Data option.
  4. Enter your email address and tap Request Download.

Within 48 hours, Instagram will email a complete file of your profile to the email address you provided. The email contains your photos, comments, profile information, and everything else you may need to access in the future. Even if you think you’ll never need this data again, it’s an essential step to ensuring that your information is protected if you ever want to view it. If you don’t do this, you’ll lose your data completely, and you’ll never get it back, no matter how hard you try.

How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account

After you’ve saved your Instagram data, you can move on to deleting your Instagram account. There are two options for users. The first is to permanently delete your Instagram account and everything associated with it, while the second is a temporary option.

Permanently deleting your Instagram account can only happen using a browser, but you can do that on both mobile and desktop browsers. Before your profile disappears forever, Instagram makes your account temporarily invisible for 30 days. Therefore, you can reinstate it if you change your mind. Here’s how to permanently delete your Instagram account:

  1. Go to the unique Delete Your Instagram Account page on your browser (ensure that you’re logged in).
  2. Select a reason for deletion from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click or tap the Delete button to confirm your decision.

Temporarily Delete/Disable Your Instagram Account

If you are only looking for a break from Instagram or don’t want to make an irrational decision, disable your Instagram account rather than delete it. Disabling logs you out and hides your profile. As far as your followers are concerned, you may as well have deleted the account. However, this method allows you to reinstate your profile at any time when temporarily disabled by simply logging back in. Follow these steps to disable your account:

  1. Go to Instagram.com from your browser on any device (you cannot do this from the app).
  2. Log in if prompted to do so.
  3. Click or tap on the profile icon in the upper right-hand corner.
  4. Click or tap Profile, then select Edit Profile.
  5. Scroll down and tap Temporarily disable my account to the right of the Submit button.
  6. You get asked why you are doing this. Select an option from the drop-down menu.
  7. Re-enter your account password.
  8. Click or tap Temporarily Disable Account.

Delete or Disable Instagram without Username or Password

If you have been hacked and want to protect your personal information, you might find the above deletion/disable steps easy, but not if you don’t remember your login credentials. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete or disable an account without first logging in, nor can Instagram do it for you. If you cannot remember or find your password, or if it got changed by someone else, follow the below steps to access your account.

Access Instagram without Username/Password on Android or iPhone

  1. Launch the Instagram app.
  2. Tap Get help logging in under the Login button.
  3. The Find your account screen appears. Type in your username, email, or phone, then tap Next. You can also select Log in with Facebook or Continue as [your FB name].
  4. On the new screen, choose Send an email, Send an SMS, or Log in with Facebook.
  5. Enter the confirmation code sent to you and tap Next.

If all went well with the above steps, you should now be on your Instagram account.

If you think you got hacked, you might not be able to use one or all of these methods, depending on how thorough the hacker has been at changing your recovery information.

  1. Open the app.
  2. Tap Get help logging in under the login fields.
  3. Select the option that allows you to enter your username.
  4. Tap Need more help?

From here, you can follow the prompts to contact Instagram. They will likely ask you for information regarding the account, such as previously used passwords, recovery information, etc.

Is There Any Way to Get My Account Back After Deletion?

So, officially there’s no option to get your account back after permanently deleting it. Still, several users swear by a workaround method, as explained below.

To sum it up, you need to report your account as hacked to Instagram, just as we’ve done above. Here’s how to do it.

  1. First, type in your username or email address and click on Instagram’s Get help signing in option.
  2. From here, select Trouble logging in.
  3. Follow the prompts, including selecting the type of account you’d like to recover, then choose My account was hacked to proceed.

  4. Then select hear more about your experience.

  5. Fill out the forms, and Instagram will send you an email within a few hours. You will eventually need to provide some verification, such as images that you’ve uploaded to that account, your username, email address, and verification code, for this to work.

Instagram Account Delete/Disable FAQs

How long does Instagram keep my data after I delete my account?

Instagram states that it can take up to 90 days to completely delete your account, meaning Instagram may still have pieces of information about your account stored on its servers. However, Instagram’s Data Policy also states that the company may keep information about your account beyond 90 days. The information the company may retain is for legal purposes or related to a violation of the company’s Terms of Use.

Can I delete my child’s account?

Unfortunately, you cannot delete your child’s Instagram account, at least not without the user’s login information. Instagram’s policy on account deletion states that only the account owner can delete the profile using the instructions above.

How long until Instagram deletes your account?

If you go through the deletion process outlined above, your Instagram account gets deleted after 30 days following the request, and your IG account becomes invisible so nobody can see it. However, all data stored in backups can take up to 90 days to delete.

If you’re wondering how long it takes Instagram to delete inactive accounts or accounts reported for spam or bots, the answer is less known. Instagram periodically deletes completely inactive accounts and bot accounts through their system. However, no one except for Instagram is entirely sure how often this happens or the parameters for deletion.

Wrapping Up

By resetting and deleting your Instagram account for good, you can finally give yourself some personal time to escape and leave behind the ever-present slog of online culture. Of course, temporarily deactivating your account is a good option if you’re looking to get away for a while, but otherwise, delete away to protect your identity and personality—and your sanity. Do you have any experience or questions regarding deleting an Instagram account? Please share with us in the comment section below.

why does it take 30 days to delete?

Mental Health
Posted by
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It takes 30 days from the moment you delete your Instagram account for it to become inaccessible, during which you can log back in and ‘save’ it. But is this making things harder for people who feel they’re addicted to social media and want to leave it behind?

If you enjoyed your forced hiatus from social media while Instagram was down last week, you might have found yourself thinking about what it would be like to stop scrolling altogether. But if you did decide to take the plunge and delete your account, chances are you’d find the process a lot trickier than first expected.

You see, unlike the ease with which you can create an account, deleting yourself from the Instagram system takes a little bit more work.

On top of there being no option to delete your account from within the Instagram app (you have to log into the desktop site, instead), it takes 30 days from the point you request deletion for your profile to be taken out of your hands, a period during which you can simply log back in and ‘save’ your account from its fate.  

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At first glance, this doesn’t seem like such a bad idea – after all, if you accidentally delete your account, it gives you a second chance to restore all your photos before they disappear forever. But for those who decide to delete their account for mental health reasons – specifically, those who feel they’re addicted to the platform – having that 30-day grace period can make the process feel even harder.

Claire*, from Portsmouth, says this was the case for her 14-year-old daughter, who made the decision to delete her account after struggling with her mental health.

“She was ill for well over a year and when, about a couple of months ago, she was starting to the turn the corner, she was looking back and saying, ‘Mum, I really think it was Instagram that made me so ill and I’m going to leave it’,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last month. 

“When we worked out [how to delete her account] I was really cross to see that they said, ‘We’ll delete it in a month, and if you change your mind just log back in and choose to keep your account’.” 

Claire* was shocked to see how long her daughter's account would be available for.

On top of the fact that the process was so difficult to navigate, Claire also voiced her frustration that Instagram was so hard to contact.

“[With] any normal business there are channels to complain – to reach somebody. If you remain unsatisfied there’s the right to external procedure, [or] an ombudsman will look at your complaint,” she said. “Instagram has no email or contact number or staff available, or anyone to raise an issue.”

In light of the Wall Street Journal’s report last month that showed Facebook is aware of the impact its image-sharing platform has on young girls – especially when it comes to body image – it’s easy to see why Claire was so frustrated to be faced with so many hurdles while trying to help her daughter leave the platform.

“The only long-term solution is educating people on how to build and maintain strong boundaries between real and online life” 

However, there’s also the argument that that 30-day grace period is necessary – and that instead of changing its deletion policy, Instagram needs to do more to support its users and prevent them from needing to leave the platform for mental health issues in the first place. 

That’s the viewpoint of social media expert Jennifer Quigley-Jones, the founder of the influencer marketing agency Digital Voices. Quigley-Jones says the cooling-off period is an important safety net for influencers whose accounts have been hacked and who make a living on the platform – but argues that other safety measures could be installed.

“The problem is not so much that [aspirational and unrealistic] content exists – it’s similar to advertising and magazines – the problem is that when some young women feel bad, some have reported that spending excessive time on the platform makes them feel worse,” she explains.

Quigley-Jones believes Instagram could do more to make it clear where filters have been used.

“Recent industry guidelines in influencer marketing from the ISBA insist that creators do not use misleading filters when promoting a product, but the platform could do more and be more proactive in declarations when filters have been used – even potentially remove beautifying filters,” she suggests.

Quigley-Jones continues: “Another option would be behavioural nudges and limiting session time, especially if users seem to be spending time [looking at] harmful content. Instagram has said it is researching this feature in a recent blog post.

“However, social media and mental health struggles driven by comparison are not going anywhere. The only long-term solution is educating people on how to build and maintain strong boundaries between real and online life, and how to create a positive space through the content they watch and engage with.” 

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When we asked Instagram about its deletion process and the issues some users were facing, it was keen to stress that the 30-day grace period exists for a number of important reasons, including the ability to retrieve an account in cases of hacking – and that the platform often gets criticised for that period being too short.

Instagram also confirmed that it takes 90 days for a user’s account to be fully deleted from its servers, but that the account will not be accessible after the initial 30-day period has passed.

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that the debate surrounding Instagram and how it impacts the mental health of its users isn’t going anywhere – and that keeping the young people who use the platform safe should be everyone’s top priority.  

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*not her real name

Images: Getty

Topics

  • Instagram
  • Mental Health
  • Wellbeing
  • Social Media

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Author

Lauren Geall

As Stylist’s digital writer, Lauren Geall writes on topics including mental health, wellbeing and women’s issues. She’s also a big fan of houseplants and likes to dabble in film and TV from time-to-time. You can find her on Twitter at @laurenjanegeall.

How to delete an account on Instagram: instructions

Sometimes it is useful to take a break from social networks, but self-discipline allows this only to a few. Then deleting the profile comes to the rescue. We explain how to delete from Instagram permanently or temporarily, saving data

Since March 21, 2022, the social networks Facebook and Instagram have been banned in Russia by a court decision, and the Meta Platforms holding company that owns them has been recognized as an extremist organization and is also banned.

Some users notice that they devote too much time to managing their Instagram account to the detriment of work and personal affairs. Even the owner of Instagram, Meta, admitted in internal documents that its social networks have a negative impact on sleep, work, parenting, work productivity and personal life of approximately 12.5% ​​of users. And scientists from the University of British Columbia found that users' own lives begin to seem insufficiently bright and interesting compared to what they see on Instagram.

Meanwhile, until the spring of 2022, the social network was consistently in the top 10 in terms of downloads in Russia and in the world. The international agency We Are Social estimated that in 2021 Instagram ranked fourth in our country in terms of the number of users (61.2% of Russian Internet users go there), and in total 67.8% of the Russian population (99 million people) use social networks. The average Russian spends 3 hours a day outside of work at the monitor or with a smartphone.

In November 2021, Instagram began testing the Take a Break feature. It will allow users to escape from the continuous viewing of the feed. In the settings, it will be possible to set reminders for breaks, for example, 10, 20 or 30 minutes. After that, the application will issue a warning about the need to rest. However, this feature has been opened to a limited number of users so far.

For now, everyone has the only alternative - to give up Instagram for a while or for good.

How to permanently delete an Instagram account

This option should be chosen when the profile is definitely no longer useful: for example, if we are talking about the account of a company that has closed.

Before deleting a profile, Instagram will offer to save data from it. To do this, you need to send a download request. After that, an email will be sent to your email within 48 hours with a link where you can download photos and videos. You can also request a copy of your data through the Instagram app for Android and iPhone. To do this, open the menu in the profile, go to the "Settings" - "Security" section and select the "Download data" item. Next, you will need to enter your email address and account password.

Download request from Instagram

Even after deleting the profile, it will be visible on the social network for another 30 days. During this time, the user can change his mind and restore the account. If within a month the owner of the profile has never logged into the system, then the account is permanently deleted.

In the web version

To delete a profile using a computer, you need to perform several steps:

  • go to the social network site and click on the "Help" button in the lower right corner;
  • go to the "Help Center" and select the line "Delete your account" in the left menu;
  • follow the link suggested in the article;
  • specify the reason for deleting the profile;
  • confirm the action by entering a password.

From smartphone

To delete your Instagram profile using your phone, you need to take more steps:

  • log into your profile in the app and click on "Settings";
  • in the menu that appears, select the line "Help" and go to the "Help Center";
  • on the page that opens, select the item "Manage your account";
  • in the search bar enter the query "Delete profile";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • follow the link in the article;
  • specify the reason for deleting the account and enter the page password.

How to temporarily delete an Instagram account

The user can also stop using Instagram for any period and then restore the page. However, you can do this no more than once a week. A temporarily deleted profile is not visible to other users of the social network. To restore it, you just need to log into the application.

In the web version

To temporarily deactivate your profile using a computer, you must perform the following steps:

  • go to the social network site under your account;
  • click on the profile photo and select "Settings" in the menu that opens;
  • at the bottom of the page, click on the link "Temporarily disable my account";
  • on the page that opens, indicate the reason for the temporary disconnection and enter the account password.

From the phone

As in the case of the "permanent" deletion, temporary blocking of Instagram will require more steps:

  • go to your profile;
  • go to the "Settings" section and select the "Help" item;
  • in the menu that appears, click on the line "Help Center";
  • on the support page, open the "Manage your account" item;
  • in the search bar, enter "Temporarily disable";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • click on the link "How to temporarily disable your account" and find the article "Instagram. com website from a mobile browser";
  • click on the link in the first paragraph of the instruction and go to the mobile browser;
  • on the main page of the account, click on the "Edit profile" button;
  • select the link "Temporarily disable my account" at the bottom of the page.

Is it possible to delete a blocked Instagram account

To delete your account, you need to know your username and password. A forgotten password can be reset using an email address, phone number, or Facebook account. If the user does not have access to the email address specified during registration, and his Instagram and Facebook accounts are not linked, then the support service will not be able to provide access to the account.

In the event that an Instagram account has been blocked by the social network itself, its owner will see a corresponding message when logging in. He can appeal this decision. To do this, you need to open the app, enter your username and password, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

However, if the user or other person who has the account password deletes it, then Instagram will not be able to restore the profile. In this case, you can create a new account with the same email address, but you probably won't be able to use the old name.

HOW TO DELETE YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT - 2 options: permanently and temporarily

If you need to delete your Instagram profile, follow the instructions. After that, the user will not be able to upload old photos and stories to his mobile phone.

We advise you to save your precious photos and stories from the archive to your phone in advance. After a month or two, they cannot be returned, they are deleted from the servers.

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How to delete an Instagram account from your phone

Getting rid of the page without leaving the application on your smartphone is real. To do this, do the following:

1. Go to the Instagram program and go to the profile.

2. Tap on the menu (three bars) on top and click on "Settings".
3. Go to "Help" and "Help Center".
4. Go to "Manage Account".
5. In the "Search" line, enter "Delete profile".

6. Find the "How to delete your account" guide and tap on the link.
7. Take any of the reasons for leaving and write down your password.

After that, the account is deactivated and disappears completely after 30-90 days.

Useful: Review of Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G NE - argued in 8 sections The request to be removed from the servers takes up to three months. This time the link is still active, but there will be no content inside. All publications, likes and comments will not be seen by other users.

After a month or two, Internet users will no longer see the account itself. The information will be deleted. But at the same time, a backup (backup copy) may be on the servers of the service itself for a couple of months. This is stated in the data usage policy.

The steps on how to permanently delete an Instagram account are the same as in the paragraph above: go to settings, go to help. In the search, register "Delete profile", take "How to delete an account." After tapping on the link, where to choose one of the reasons for getting rid of the page.

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How to temporarily delete an Instagram account

If you don’t want to leave social networks, but you just need to disable your Instagram account for a while, then follow these instructions. So photos, likes and comments will remain hidden: no one can access them. And they will appear only after the account is restored. You cannot turn off the profile in the application - only in the web version. How it's done:

  • Open the Instagram.com social network in the browser itself.
  • Click on the avatar and go to your profile.
  • A page with a menu will open: there you can enter the mobile phone number, gender and other features of the account.
  • Scroll and select "Temporarily disable account".

Next, you should find the reason why you want to deactivate the acc. If the point is that you need to delete a comment, you get a lot of ads, or the social network is distracting, Instagram will suggest solutions without deleting it. For those who still want to move away from social networks, just click "Temporarily disable".

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How to delete an Instagram account from a computer

Nickname will be lost when deleting a profile. If another user wants to take this "name" for himself, he can do it. And upon return, you will have to create a page with a new nickname.

Sometimes others may have time to take this name - consider this before deleting your Instagram account.

Learn more