How to delete or deactivate your Instagram Account
Maybe it’s the epidemic of doomscrolling, the alarming findings about how toxic Instagram is for teenage girls, or the simple desire to spend more time in real life with the people you care about and less time online oversharing.
Regardless of the cause, you have two options if you no longer wish to use Instagram. Make a permanent break (destroy your Instagram account permanently and without any compensation) or take a temporary break (deactivate your Instagram account with the intention of coming back later like Britney Spears).
Download your account’s data before deleting or disabling it. You can request your data via a mobile browser, desktop, or the app. (Instructions following.)
If you are prepared to delete or deactivate your Instagram application, launch a web browser on your desktop or mobile device. Within the Instagram app, you cannot remove or deactivate your account. Then adhere to this detailed guide.
How to delete your Instagram account:
1. Log in to your Instagram account on the Instagram website.
2. Go to the page for deleting your account.
3. Select your reason for deleting your account from the drop-down option.
4. Re-enter your password. Next, hit or click the delete icon.
Instagram specifies that it will take 30 days for your account and data to be permanently deleted. During that period, your Instagram account will be inaccessible.
How to deactivate your Instagram account
1. Visit Instagram’s website and sign in to your account.
2. Click or tap on your profile photo in the upper-right corner, followed by “Edit Profile”
3. Scroll down and click or tap “Temporarily disable my account” in the bottom right corner.
4. Select the reason for your account deactivation from the drop-down option next to “Why are you disabling your account?” and re-enter your password.
5. Select “Temporarily disable account” from the menu.
In order to reactivate your account, you must enter into the Instagram app.
How to download your Instagram data
From a computer:
1. After logging in, navigate to your profile picture and click Settings.
2. Navigate to Privacy and Security.
3. Navigate to the Data Download section and select Download Request.
4. Click Next after entering your email address.
5.Enter the password for your Instagram account and click Request Download.
6. You’ll receive an email containing a link to your Instagram information. Click Download Data and then follow the on-screen directions to complete downloading your data.
In the Instagram app:
1. Sign into your account, then navigate to your profile.
2. Press the menu symbol in the upper-right corner, then tap Settings.
3. Select “Security” and then “Download Data”
4. Enter your email address and click the “Request download” button.
5. Enter the password for your Instagram account, then tap Next, then tap Done.
6. You’ll receive an email containing a link to your Instagram information. Click Download Data and then follow the on-screen directions to complete downloading your data.
From a mobile browser:
1. Sign into your account, then navigate to your profile.
2. Select Settings in the upper-left corner, then Privacy and Security.
3.Scroll down to Data Download and hit Download Request.
4. Tap Next after entering your email address.
5. Enter the password for your Instagram account and press Request Download.
You’ll receive an email containing a link to your Instagram information. Click Download Data and then follow the on-screen directions to complete downloading your data.