How to delete an instagram account on a computer
How to Delete an Instagram Account (The Easy Way)
How to delete an Instagram account on iOS
How to delete an Instagram account on Android
How to delete an Instagram account on your computer
When should you delete your Instagram account?
Decided Instagram isn’t the best fit for your business? No sweat. Unlike real life, there’s an undo button: you can delete your Instagram account permanently.
Before you delete, consider backing up your account data in case you need it. Be aware the data will be a computer-readable HTML or JSON format, not individual profile photos, videos, comments, etc.
Ready? Here’s how to delete your Instagram account in the app, from a computer, or via mobile web browser.
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
How to delete an Instagram account on iOS
Step 1: Go to your account in the Instagram app. Then, tap the menu icon (3 lines) in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 2: Navigate to Settings, then Account.
Step 3: Tap Delete account.
Instagram will suggest deactivating instead of deleting. Deactivation hides your account and is reversible anytime. If you still want to permanently delete the Instagram account, go ahead and tap Delete account.
Step 3: Confirm deletion.
Instagram will ask you AGAIN… You’re sure about this, right?
Step 4: Confirm… again.
Instagram draws out the process, which you could argue is either annoying, or a good thing to prevent accidental deletions and angry users.
Instagram asks why you want to delete it. Your answer is mandatory and so is entering your password.
Clicking the Delete @username button on this page will permanently delete your account.
Your account won’t be visible on Instagram anymore but you have 30 days to reverse your decision and reactivate it. After that it’s real-real gone.
How to delete an Instagram account on Android
For whatever odd reason, the native Instagram app on Android currently doesn’t allow you to delete an account like it does in the iPhone version. It’s weird, but no sweat, just open up a browser and follow the directions below.
How to delete an Instagram account on your computer
If you don’t have access to the app on your current phone or you’re an Android user, you can also delete your Instagram account from any web browser.
The steps below also work for mobile browsers (e.g. Safari or Chrome on your phone).
Step 1: Go to www.instagram.com and sign into your account
Step 2: Visit the Delete Account page.
Step 3: Confirm deletion.
Ensure the username matches the account you want to delete. If not, click Log out on the right side of the screen to go back to Instagram and sign in to the correct account.
Fill out the reason for deleting your Instagram account and enter your password. Tapping Delete @username at the bottom will permanently delete your account.
When should you delete your Instagram account?
If you have any doubts at all about deleting your profile, you should temporarily deactivate your Instagram account instead. Deactivated accounts are easily recovered, whereas deleted ones are permanently removed from the platform (after the 30 day grace period).
For most people, I’d recommend deactivation, even if you leave it that way for months or years. It accomplishes the same thing (no one can find or see your account) but without the risk of regret.
Another option is to switch to a private account.
Private accounts still show up in search results but their posts don’t, nor are they publicly viewable on your profile. People can request to follow you, but you don’t have to approve them. Current followers will still be able to see your posts and content, though.
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
Get the free guide right now!
To change to a private account, go to Settings in the app, then Privacy and tap the slider next to Private account to the on position.
There are a few specific scenarios where deleting your Instagram account makes sense. (Although you could still choose to temporarily disable your account for these, too.)
You’re not sure if Instagram is paying off
Is Instagram helping you achieve your business goals? You set business goals for your Instagram account, right? And you measure them regularly, right?
Instagram may not be the best fit for you, but if you’re unsure, it’s worth it to revise your Instagram marketing strategy first.
Give it a fair shot to provide a positive ROI for you.
Use our free social media audit template to track progress and evaluate the results. If you still don’t see results from Instagram for several quarters, it’s probably worth focusing more on other platforms.
Your target audience doesn’t use Instagram
You can have the most bangin’ Reels, the best carousels, and the most interesting Stories, but if your target peeps aren’t seeing it? Oof, that’s a lot of wasted effort for very little reward.
Social media platforms are only as effective as your marketing strategy. Is your target customer 70+ years old? Certainly some will be on Instagram, but it’s probably not where you should spend the bulk of your time or budget.
Not sure if Instagram is a good fit for your audience? Check out the Social Trends 2022 report for the latest demographics for all platforms and the stats you need for an informed strategy.
You have more than one account for your brand
Whoops, discovered that second account last year’s intern opened by mistake? Go ahead and delete it (unless it has, like, a bajillion followers).
Duplicate or erroneous accounts can confuse your audience, especially if your main profile doesn’t have a blue check mark beside it to show its authenticity. People may end up following the wrong account. Eliminate confusion by deleting any unused profiles.
Managing Instagram is overwhelming
Gotcha! This is a trick reason. Overwhelm is real but it’s not a reason to delete your account.
Instead, save time, get organized, and get your Instagram marketing in gear with Hootsuite. Schedule and publish your content—yep, Reels, too!— in advance, manage DMs from all your platforms from one inbox, and collaborate and approve draft content with your team.
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Check out how Hootsuite takes the overwhelm out of managing your Instagram (and all your other platforms).
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How to Delete Instagram 2022 [Delete or Deactivate Your Account]
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Table of Contents
- First Download Your Data
- How to Delete Your Instagram Account Permanently
- How to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account
- Final Thoughts
- Comments
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If you’ve had enough of Instagram, you can either deactivate your account or delete it for good.
Keep reading to learn all the steps for how to delete Instagram, or to just deactivate your account if you want the option of coming back.
By Aleksander Hougen (Managing Editor)
— Last Updated: 2022-09-18T16:01:00+00:00
No matter your reasoning, whether it’s privacy concerns, mental health problems or issues with productivity, deleting your Instagram account has a lot of upsides. Unfortunately, you can’t do so from within the app, so follow these steps if you want to learn how to delete Instagram for good.
Key Takeaways:
- If you’re sick of Instagram, you can either disable your account or delete it for good.
- Before deleting your account, it’s a good idea to download your data through the Instagram app.
- Once you’re ready to delete or disable your account, you’ll have to do so through a web browser.
Whether you’re tired of all the ads or creating posts just isn’t as much fun as it used to be, there are many reasons you might want to get rid of your Insta.
There are two options if you’re looking to get the social network out of your life: one permanent and one temporary. We’ll show you how to do both, as well as how to download your Instagram data so that you don’t lose access to any photos or videos that you’ve posted over the years.
You can’t. In order to delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you’ll have to visit the account deletion page with a web browser.
There are different but equally valid reasons to get rid of your Instagram account. If you’re concerned with digital privacy, then it’s a bad idea to allow the app to hand over your images, location data and communications to its parent company, Meta (formerly Facebook after a rebrand). Another reason is the potential for detrimental effects on your mental health from social media usage.
How to Delete Instagram Account: First Download Your Data
You might want to download your Instagram data before you permanently delete your account.
Once you finish, all your posts, stories and chats will be permanently removed, with no way to undo the process.
Doing so is relatively simple. Open up the Instagram app on your phone, press the three lines menu icon in the top right and tap “settings.” From there, select “security,” then “download data.”
Verify that the displayed email is the correct one and press “request download.” You will receive a copy of your data within 48 hours. The email will contain all the photos you’ve posted, but not your messages.
How to Delete Your Instagram Account Permanently
Although you can request your data through the mobile app, you’ll need to turn to the Instagram website through a web browser — either on a computer or a mobile device — to delete your account.
- Log in to Your Account
Open a web browser and go to the Instagram deletion page.
Enter your credentials and click “log in.” - Select a Reason for Deleting Your Account
You’ll now see a dropdown menu. Here you can select one of eight options for why you want to delete your account. Select any of them.
- Enter Your Password and Delete Your Account
Your Instagram account will now be invisible to other users, including your followers. If you change your mind about deleting your account, you have 30 days to log back in with your username and password to undo the deletion.
How to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account
If permanently deleting your account sounds a bit too final for you, you can also deactivate your Instagram account temporarily, which gives you the option to reactivate it at a later date. As with account deletion, you’ll have to do this on your computer or via a mobile browser.
- Log in to Your Instagram Account
Go to instagram.
com on your computer’s web browser or a mobile browser. Enter your login credentials and click the “log in” button. - Go to Your Profile
Click your profile picture in the top right of the browser window and select “profile.”
- Edit Your Profile
Once on your profile page, click on the button that says “edit profile.”
- Request to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link that says “temporarily disable my account.”
- Provide a Reason for Disabling Your Account
Select an option from the dropdown menu. You’ll then be asked to re-enter your password. Do so and then click or tap on the button that says “temporarily disable account.”
With that, your Instagram account is disabled.
That means that it won’t be searchable for other users, and you won’t be able to log back in without reactivating it.
Final Thoughts: Leaving Instagram
All in all, deleting or disabling your Instagram account is a simple enough process. Unfortunately there’s no way to do so in the iPhone or Android app, but having to use a browser only makes the deletion process slightly more complicated. If you’re in a restrictive country, be sure to use one of the best VPNs for Instagram.
We also have a guide on how to delete Facebook, or you can change your Facebook privacy settings instead.
What did you think of our guide to deleting your Instagram account? Did the step-by-step guide make the process clear, or are you still struggling? Finally, what made you want to delete or deactivate Instagram? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.
Let us know if you liked the post. That’s the only way we can improve.
How to delete an Instagram account - a quick way
In this tutorial I will show you how to delete an Instagram account from your phone or computer. Let's consider with examples all the ways to close a page on Insta: temporary blocking, resetting the profile, complete destruction.
Contents:
- How to delete the entire page
- How to temporarily block a profile
- Alternative methods
- How to delete someone else's page
- FAQ
How to delete a page completely
In this section, I will show you how to completely delete your Instagram page. After that, all photos, comments, marks and other data will be irretrievably destroyed. And you will no longer be able to register with your current username.
Important! Instagram does not recover deleted accounts, so think carefully before starting the procedure.
On the phone
Method 1: through the Instagram app
1.
Click on the little man icon in the bottom bar of the application. Then on the "three dotted lines" at the top.
2. Select Settings.
3. In the settings, click on "Help".
4. Select Help Center.
You will be redirected to the web version of the site, so you may be asked to select a browser if there are several on your phone.
I selected Google Chrome and clicked Just Now.
5. Next, go to "Account Management".
6. Click on "Delete Account".
7. Expand the branch "How to delete an Instagram account?". Click on "Delete Account".
8. The page for re-authorization in the browser will open. Enter your username, password and click "Login".
9. Next, specify the reason for deletion. You can choose one of the suggested options or set "Other".
After that, you need to enter a password to confirm and click on the "Permanently delete my account" button.
Another warning will open.
After you click OK, the profile will be deleted.
Method 2: Using a mobile browser
1. On your phone browser, go to instagram.com. Enter your profile username and password.
2. Click on the profile icon.
3. Go to the Help section at the bottom.
If there is no such section, go to the full version of the site. In Chrome, you need to click on the "three dots" and select "PC Version".
4. Select Account Management.
5. Then go to "Delete Account".
6. Expand the "How to delete" branch and click on "Delete account".
Next, you need to indicate the reason why you are closing the page. Then enter the password and click on the red button below.
Computer
1. Go to the social network at instagram.com and log in. Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner.
2.
Select Help at the bottom.
3. Click on Manage Account.
4. Go to "Delete account".
5. Expand the "How to delete" branch and click on the "Delete account" item.
6. Specify the reason, confirm the action with a password and click on the red button.
How to temporarily block a profile
When temporarily blocked, the page will be hidden until you activate it - log in with your username and password. This will help you disappear from the network for a while without deleting your account.
On your phone
1. On your phone browser, go to instagram.com. Enter your profile username and password.
2. Click the little man icon. Then click on the "Edit Profile" button.
3. In the settings, select "Temporarily disable my account" in the lower right corner.
4. Select the reason for freezing from the list, type in the password for the social network, and click on the "Temporarily block account" button.
Confirm the action by clicking Yes.
Computer
1. Open the official website instagram.com and log in. Click the profile icon and click the Edit Profile button.
2. Click on "Temporarily disable my account".
3. Select a reason, confirm the action with your password and click the button below.
Alternative methods
Method 1: closing the profile
If you want to hide the page from strangers, then you just need to close the profile with a lock. Then no one except your subscribers will see the publication.
In the application on the phone
1. Click the little man icon at the bottom of the application and the three dotted lines at the top.
2. Select Settings.
3. Go to the "Account" section.
At the bottom there will be a link to change the profile type. If it says "Switch to a professional account", you don't need to do anything.
And if "Switch to a personal account", then click on this inscription. Then return to settings.
4. Open the "Privacy" item.
5. In the Contacts section, open Account Privacy.
6. Turn on the switch.
Press OK when prompted for confirmation.
Done, profile closed! This is how it will look to visitors.
In a mobile browser
1. In your phone browser, go to instagram.com, enter your username and password from your page. Click on the little man icon, then on the gear icon.
2. Go to the "Privacy and Security" section.
3. Check the box "Closed account".
Computer
1. Go to the social network at instagram.com and log in. Click on the profile icon, then click on the "gear".
2. Go to the "Privacy and Security" section.
3. Check the box "Closed account".
Method 2: zeroing information
The essence of the method is to remove all information from the page.
As a result, it will be completely empty, as if you just created it. I'll show you how to do it in the app. In the web version, the steps are similar.
Step 1: delete publications, subscriptions and subscribers
In the bottom panel, click on the "person" icon. The top menu will have three sections:
- Publications
- Followers
- Subscriptions
Go to "Publications" and open each entry one by one. Click on the three dots icon at the top.
Select "Delete" from the list.
Click on the "person" icon below and go to the "Subscribers" section. We delete each of them.
Go to the "Subscriptions" tab at the top. Click on the "You are subscribed" button in front of the person.
Select "Unsubscribe".
We return to the main profile menu by clicking on the “person” icon at the bottom. We go to the section "Photos and videos with you" and remove the marks, if any.
Step 2: delete messages from Direct
Go to the main screen by clicking on the "house" icon. Then click on the "envelope" in the upper corner.
A list of contacts with whom you have corresponded will open. Hold your finger on the person for a few seconds and select "Delete".
Step 3: check related social networks
Click on the little man icon and on the three dotted lines at the top.
Select "Settings".
Go to the "Account" section.
Open "Linked Accounts".
If there is a connection to another social network, a check mark will be placed next to it. Click on it.
Press the Unlink button.
Step 4: remove the profile photo and change personal settings
Click on the "person" icon and on the "Edit profile" button.
Then select "Change profile photo".
Select "Delete profile photo".
In the next two paragraphs, change the nickname in the "Username" line and the first / last name in the Name line. Next, go to "Personal Information Settings".
In this section, you can optionally change your email address, phone number, gender, and date of birth.
That's it! Thus, we reset the information on Insta.
How to delete someone else's page
You can permanently delete someone else's page only if you know the password for it. Without a password, you can only try to block it by sending a complaint to the administration.
This will work if a person violates the rules of the service or uses something that does not belong to him. For example, your personal photos.
1. Go to the user's page and open a record that is unacceptable to you. Click the three dots icon.
2. Select Complain.
3. Click on the item "This is inappropriate."
4. Choose one of the reasons, for example, "Violation of intellectual property rights".
Now it remains to wait for the decision of the administration. But if a person does not have publications or messages that violate the rules of the service or your rights, the application will be rejected.
Note. You can file a complaint not only for the entry, but for the entire account. To do this, click the three dots icon on the page and select Complain.
Answers to frequently asked questions
How to delete your old page if you forgot your password
First you need to restore the data. To do this, click on the "Get help with logging in" item.
Then print the data for which the account was registered. This can be a phone number or an email address.
Next, select one of the suggested actions and follow the recovery instructions. After the password has been changed, we log in and delete the page in one of the ways (see above).
Can the page be deleted without my participation?
The profile can be blocked by the administration for violating the rules of the social network.
Here are some examples of violations:
- Login from different IP addresses. If you actively use VPN services and change your location, Instagram may suspect a hacking attempt and block your profile.
- Mass entry into communities and likes. If you subscribe to everyone and put likes, the page will be blocked.
- Photographs of dubious character. For uploading images with naked body parts, you can also get a ban from the service.
In such cases, there is usually a chance for recovery. The page can be permanently destroyed for more serious violations:
- Insulting users.
- Using someone else's confidential material.
- Committing illegal, misleading actions.
How to close a professional account
First you need to change it to a personal one. This is done in the profile settings in the "Account" section.
Next, follow the standard instructions (see above).
How to log out of the profile in the application
When you log out of the profile, the page will still remain in the system.
You just remove it from the application. To do this, click on the "man" icon, and then on the "three dotted lines".
Go to Settings.
Select "Exit".
How to uninstall the application
On Android:
- From the phone menu, open "Settings".
- Select Programs or Applications.
- Find and open Instagram in the list.
- Click on "Delete" and follow the instructions.
On the iPhone. Click on the application icon and hold it for a few seconds. From the list, select Uninstall Application.
Author: Ilya Kurbanov
Editor: Ilya Krivosheev
How to delete an Instagram account from a computer
Home » Instagram
Author admin Read 4 min Views 1.4k. Posted by
Continuing our series of detailed step-by-step instructions on the social network Instagram, we have come to one of the most burning topics, namely the deletion of such an account.
In this regard, there are several important nuances that any user who wants to erase all information about himself should remember. So, let's look at how to delete an Instagram account from a computer.
This method will work regardless of the operating system used, be it Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, Linux or MacOS.
Content
- Temporary blocking
- Full deletion
- Alternative options
- Video Instruction
- in conclusion
Temporary blocking
So, Instagram allows us to temporarily expand our account and hide it from everyone. This makes it possible, if necessary, to restore access, but in the case of deletion, this will not work. So before you do something irreparable, think about whether a simple blocking is enough for you? If yes, then do this:
- Launch any browser on your computer or laptop. Go to the Instagram.com website and log in with your username and password.
- After the login is completed, click on the icon of our user.
You can find it in the top right corner of the site. - Next to your own name, you will find the Edit Profile button. We press it.
- In the new window, scroll the contents to the very bottom and click on the link that we marked in the screenshot below.
- After that, we will be asked to indicate the reason for blocking. Let's do it. You will also need to enter our password again to confirm.
As a result, the account will be blocked. In order to bring it back to life, you just need to press the unlock button, except for which there will be nothing on the main page.
Complete deletion
If you have finally decided to end your presence on Instagram, you can proceed to delete the page. Remember - this is an irreversible process and it will not work to restore the profile. However, it works like this:
- We launch any browser on our PC and follow a special link. Log in with your username and password if required.
- The functionality of this page also provides a number of additional features:
- profile editing;
- password change;
- application management;
- email settings.
- The first thing we need to do here is indicate the reason for the deletion. It should be noted that there are quite comical options. To confirm your plan, you will also need to enter your password.
- Then press the big red button and your account will be deleted.
You can work with this link from your computer and phone. You can delete your account here and there.
Attention: you won't be able to return your profile to Instagram. If you remove it, no options can reverse the process!
Alternative options
There are other ways to delete an account in this article. For example, we may use an app installed from the Microsoft Store. You can also install a special Android operating system emulator program and run the official Instagram application on it.
We will not consider in detail either method, since they are more complicated and all points can be implemented through a regular browser. This is exactly what we wrote above. Again, don't rush to delete your profile. You may change your mind, but it will be too late.
Expert opinion
Vasiliy
Project manager, comment moderation expert.
Ask a question
Be careful with third-party software that is used for one purpose or another and accesses your Instagram registration data. It is similar services that often steal personal data.
Video instruction
For those who do not want to delve into the essence of the article and read a long step-by-step instruction for a long time, we have prepared a training video in which all the points discussed above are detailed in a visual form.