How to delete instagram account for good
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.
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.
Start your free 30-day trial
Check out how Hootsuite takes the overwhelm out of managing your Instagram (and all your other platforms).
Whether you decide to keep Instagram or not, Hootsuite seamlessly manages all your social media accounts across platforms. Plan, schedule, publish, engage, analyze, and advertise everywhere from one dashboard. Save your time and protect your work-life balance. Try it free today.
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Grow on Instagram
Easily create, analyze, and schedule Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels with Hootsuite. Save time and get results.
Free 30-Day Trial
How to Delete Your Instagram Account
- You can delete your Instagram account on the account deletion page on desktop or mobile browser.
- You can also delete your Instagram account on iOS using the mobile app.
- To take a short break from Instagram, you can temporarily deactivate your account.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites around — and one of the most addicting. If you want to tone down your Instagram habits, you can always delete or deactivate your Instagram account.
The difference between the two is that deleting your Instagram account is permanent, while deactivating is temporary and you can log back in later.
To delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you can use a web browser on desktop and mobile. iPhone users can even delete their account using the Instagram app.
Here's how.
Quick tip: Once you've deleted or deactivated your Instagram account, you'll probably want to delete the app from your phone as well. Check out our guides on how to delete apps on an iPhone or how to delete apps on your Android device to do it.
1. On a desktop web browser, go to instagram.com and log into your account.
2. Once logged in, go to the Instagram account deletion page.
3. Click the drop-down menu in the right panel of the screen and choose the reason for deleting your account.
Tell Instagram why you’re deleting your account. Stefan Ionescu/Insider4. Re-enter your password in the text box that appears below, and click the Delete [Account Name] button afterward.
Re-enter your password, and then click the “Delete” button.
Stefan Ionescu/Insider Instagram will let you know that it'll take a month for your data to be fully erased. Until then, your account will just be hidden from public view.
Note: While your account is hidden, you can log back into it anytime before it is fully erased to cancel the deletion process, if you change your mind.
How to delete Instagram on iOS1. Open the Instagram app on your iOS device.
2. Tap the profile picture icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and select Settings in the menu.
3. Tap More – the three horizontal lines – in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings in the menu.
4. Tap Account.
5. Scroll down and tap Delete account.
Tap “Delete account.” Stefan Ionescu/Insider6. Tap Delete account again.
7. Confirm your decision by tapping Continue Deleting Account.
8. The Instagram app will then load the mobile version of the account deletion page. Tap the drop-down menu and select the reason for deleting your Instagram account.
9. Re-enter your Instagram password in the text box that appears below, and then tap the Delete [Account name] button afterward.
How to delete Instagram on Android1. In your Android device's mobile browser, head to instagram.com and log into your account.
2. Head to the Instagram account deletion page once you have logged in.
3. Tap the drop-down menu and select the reason for deleting your Instagram account.
Select the reason for deleting your Instagram account in the dropdown-menu.
Stefan Ionescu/Insider 4. Re-enter your Instagram password in the text box that appears below, and then tap the Delete [Account Name] button afterward.
Re-enter your Instagram password, and the tap the “Delete” button. Stefan Ionescu/Insider How to deactivate your Instagram account temporarilyIf you just need a short break from Instagram, you can temporarily disable your account instead.
This hides it from public view, but lets you restore it whenever you like.
1. Log into your Instagram account on a web browser, go to your profile page, and then click the Edit profile button at the top.
Click “Edit profile.” Stefan Ionescu/Insider2. At the bottom of the page that opens, click the Temporarily disable my account link.
Click “Temporarily disable my account” at the bottom of this page. Stefan Ionescu/Insider3.
Select the reason that you're disabling your account and re-enter your password.
4. Click the Temporarily Disable Account button.
Click the “Temporarily Disable Account” button. Stefan Ionescu/InsiderTo reactivate your account in the future, simply log back into the Instagram app with your username and password.
Jennifer Still
Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV.
She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.
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William Antonelli
Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews
William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation.
You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at [email protected].
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Deleting an Instagram account | Instagram Help Center
If you delete your account, your profile, all photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will also be permanently deleted. If you just want to take a break, you can temporarily deactivate your account.
For security reasons, we cannot delete your account for you. To submit an account deletion request, sign in to your account. If you've forgotten your password or username, see Tips for signing in to your account.
Before deleting your Instagram account, sign in and download a copy of your information, such as photos and posts. If you delete your account, you will no longer be able to access the Download Data tool on Instagram.
To permanently delete an account using the Account Center:
Click the or icon on your profile picture in the lower right corner of the screen to go to your profile.
Click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings.
Click Account Center and then Personal Information.
Click Account Management and then Deactivate or Delete.
Select the required account.
Click Delete Account and then Continue.
Note. Deactivating your account in the Account Center may not be available to you.
To request a permanent account deletion using the Instagram app:
Go to the Delete Account page. If you haven't logged into Instagram on your computer yet, do so.
Select an option from the drop-down menu under Why do you want to delete [account name]'s profile? and re-enter your password. You will only be able to permanently delete your account after you select a reason and enter your password.
Click Delete account [username].
To delete another account:
Click on the username in the upper right corner of the Delete Account page.
Click the icon next to Edit Profile and select Sign out.
Sign in to the account you want to delete and follow the instructions above.
By deleting your account, you will be able to sign up again with the same username or use it on a different account, as long as the other person on Instagram doesn't do so first.
Note. If your account has been terminated for violating the Community Guidelines, you will not be able to register again with the same username.
30 days after the request is submitted, the account and all associated information will be permanently deleted. You will not be able to recover this information. During this period, they will be subject to the Instagram Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Instagram users will not see this content.
It may take up to 9 days for your content to be removed0 days from the start of the deletion process. After this period, a copy of your content may be stored in backup storage that we use to recover data lost in the event of a natural disaster, software error, etc. We may also retain your information for legal purposes, in the event of a violation of terms of use, or for purposes intended to prevent harm. Detailed information about this is available in the Privacy Policy.
How to delete an instagram account? | dev.by
You can delete an Instagram account in different ways: through a browser on a computer or smartphone, as well as through a mobile application - either temporarily or permanently. In this article, we will consider all cases in detail.
Contents
How to download your data on Instagram
Before you delete your account, Instagram will prompt you to download your data from it. After deletion, this will not be possible.
Here is how to send a request to download a copy of data in a browser from a PC:
- Click on your profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen and go to Settings .
- Tap Privacy & Security on the left panel.
- Scroll down to section Download data and click Request file.
- Enter the email address to send the download link to.
- Select the data download format and press Next .
- Enter your Instagram account password and click Request file .
After that, a link will be sent to your email, following which you can download all your photos, videos, comments and other information from the profile. Instagram warns that you will have to wait up to 14 days for the letter, but usually sends the coveted link within a few hours.
The same can be done in a browser from a mobile device. To do this, click the profile icon in the lower right corner of the screen, then open Settings in the upper left corner. Further, the algorithm is the same as when sending a request from the desktop.
You can also get a link to save a copy of your data in the Instagram app for Android and iOS.
- Click on 's profile picture in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Tap on burger menu (three bars one below the other) in the upper right corner.
- Select item Your actions .
- Scroll down to item Download information .
- It remains only to enter the email address and account password.
How to permanently delete an Instagram account
This is a radical option for those who are "one hundred percent" sure that the account will no longer be needed. In this case, your profile, all photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be irretrievably lost.
In short, : you just need to log in to Instagram from a computer or smartphone and follow this link. Here you only need to indicate why you want to delete the profile and enter a password to confirm the action. And now in detail about how to delete Instagram from different devices.
Deleting an account in the web version from a computer
- On the Instagram website, click the Help button at the bottom of the screen. For convenience, it is better to first go to Profile or Settings by clicking on the profile photo in the upper right corner of the screen.
- In the menu on the left, select Manage account , then click on item Delete account .
- Expand item Delete Instagram account and follow the link provided in the instructions.
- Select the reason why you want to get rid of the account and confirm your decision by entering a password. The page will ask you to confirm the deletion.
Your profile and account data will be deleted after 30 days. During this time, your account will not be shown on Instagram, and you will be able to restore it.
Delete an account in the web version from a smartphone
A similar sequence of actions must be taken to delete Instagram through a browser on a smartphone.
- Click the profile icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Open Settings in the upper left corner.
- Scroll down to Help and go to Help Center .
- Tap on burger menu in the top right corner and select Account Management .
- Select item Delete account .
- Expand Delete Instagram account , then scroll down and expand Instagram.com in a browser on a mobile device .
- Follow the link under the number 1, indicate the reason for the deletion and enter the password for the account.
Deleting an account through a mobile application
Unable to delete Instagram through the app. The social network will still ask you to go to the site in a mobile or web browser.
If you want to see for yourself: in the application, click on the profile photo at the bottom right → go to the burger menu at the top right → Settings → Help → Help Center → burger menu → Account management → Delete account → Delete Instagram account → read instructions To send request for permanent deletion of account . Well, then choose any of the two instructions above.
How to temporarily delete an Instagram account
For those who just want to take a break from the popularity of the social network, there is an opportunity to temporarily freeze their account. Instagram really does not want to part with you and will (un)obtrusively remind you of this option all the way.
If you temporarily deactivate your account, your profile, photos, comments and likes will be hidden until you log in again and thereby activate it.
An Instagram account can only be deactivated on desktop, mobile or via the iPhone app. You can only do this once a week.
On a computer browser
- Click on 's profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings. Or select item Profile , then on the page that opens, click the button Edit profile in the middle of the screen next to the user name.
- Scroll down and click Temporary deactivation of account in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Select the reason why you decided to deactivate your account and enter your password.
- Click on the blue button below. The site will ask you to confirm or cancel the action.
In the browser on your smartphone
- Click on 's profile photo in the lower right corner of the screen and select Edit profile .
- Scroll down and click Temporary deactivation of account in the lower right corner of the screen.
- Select the reason why you decided to deactivate your account and enter your password.
- Press the button Temporarily deactivate account and select Yes or No to confirm or cancel the action.
In the mobile app
iPhone users can temporarily delete their Instagram account in the app. To do this:
- Click on 's profile photo in the lower right corner of the screen to go to your profile.
- Press icon Burger menu in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings.
- Select Account and then Delete account at the bottom of the screen.
- Click Deactivate account and select the reason, then enter the password.
- Tap Temporarily deactivate account .
How to delete a blocked account on Instagram
All the instructions above, by default, assume that you know the login and password from your account and are logged into it. Unfortunately, deleting an Instagram account if it is blocked will not work. Before you enter it, you have to unlock it - that's the way.
There are three ways to do this.
First - without an identity document. Fill out the form at the link by selecting "No" in response to the question "Is this account used to represent a company?".
Second - with an identity document. Attach one snapshot of a government-issued document or two snapshots of non-state-issued documents to this form.
Third - in case your account was blocked by mistake. Fill out the form, saying what you think about Instagram, in the "Tell us why you want to appeal the decision to permanently deactivate this account" section.
After sending the questionnaire that suits you, further instructions will be sent to the e-mail indicated in it. Usually this is a digital code that you need to write by hand on a blank sheet of paper, take a picture with it and send it back to technical support. If the email did not arrive, submit the form again with a different email address.
How to delete someone else's instagram account
Forewarned means forearmed. We warn you - Instagram has the ability to delete another user's account, and theoretically it can be used against you.
The following methods work if the user does not have two-factor authentication enabled.
1. Brute force. This is a way to hack another user by brute force. Studies show that most people do not know how to be creative and responsible, so from year to year the most popular passwords remain "123456" and "qwerty". To protect yourself from this method, come up with a complex password for yourself from numbers, letters and symbols.
2. Phishing. If you sort it out yourself - laziness, scammers can try to force their victim to give out a username and password of their own free will. An email is sent to the person on behalf of the Instagram administrator. It says that the account has a security problem, and therefore the user urgently needs to follow the link and change the password. The link leads to a fake site, visually completely identical to the social network, and even an experienced user can fall for the bait. The rule here is this: do not follow unfamiliar links, even from the “Instagram administrator”.
3. Hackers. "Experts" can help you steal someone else's account. Such offers (and ready-made programs) are not just circulating on the darknet, but also on the regular Internet. For example, hackers have vulnerabilities in Instagram itself, leaks that the platform allows, social engineering, and other methods. Here two-factor authentication will help you . Do not be lazy to put it on your applications.
Instagram rules
In addition, you can block an account using the Instagram terms and conditions. It is enough to complain that the user's posts allegedly violate them.
There is a menu (three dots) in the top right corner of every post with this feature. Instagram will ask what's wrong with the post and offer to specify the category of inappropriate content. This can be spam and fraud, pornography, incitement to violence, insults, the sale of illegal items, copyright infringement, and others.
