Deciding to part with Instagram can be hard — but once you are ready to take the plunge, figuring out how to delete your Instagram account could be even harder. Instagram will try to keep you on the platform to the bitter end.
This guide will walk you through the steps you need to take to free yourself from the platform once and for all.
How to Delete an Instagram Account via the Instagram App
Follow these easy steps to delete your Instagram account through the app.
Step 1: Log in to Your Account And Select “Account” on the Menu
The menu is located on your profile page in the top right corner of the app. This “hamburger menu” looks like three horizontal lines.
Click the menu button and then go to “Settings.”
From here, you select “Account” to view your account settings.
Step 2: Select “Delete Account”
Scroll to the bottom of the list and look for “Delete account.” Click it.
Instagram will inform you that you can choose to deactivate your account instead of deleting it, an option that temporarily hides your content. The bright blue button at the top encourages you to “Deactivate your account.”
Step 3: Choose Whether You Want to Temporarily Deactivate or Permanently Delete Your Account
You can choose to permanently delete your Instagram account or you can temporarily deactivate the account, allowing you to revive it again in the future.
If you decide to temporarily disable your account, choose the top option highlighted in blue — select “Deactivate account.”
If you decide to permanently delete your account, choose the bottom option, which appears in small gray text, instead — select “Delete account.”
This choice will cause Instagram to open the “Delete your account page” in a new browser window. Users can now use the same steps as browser users.
How to Delete an Instagram Account via a Web Browser
To delete your Instagram account through a web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, visit Instagram’s “Delete your account” page here.
Users who are not already logged in will be prompted to do so. Once you are logged in to Instagram, you can expect the following steps:
Step 1: Commit to Deleting Your Account
Instagram will inform you that users can temporarily suspend their accounts rather than deleting them permanently, and mentions that this also removes all your posts from public view.
Step 2: Give a Reason for Deleting Your Account
The question “Why do you want to delete [Instagram account name]?” shows up underneath the message about temporarily suspending the account. A dropdown menu is located right next to this question, and to delete your account, you will have to choose one of the options, which are:
- Trouble getting started
- Too busy/too distracting
- Created a second account
- Privacy concerns
- Too many ads
- Want to remove something
- Can’t find people to follow
- Something else
Soon-to-be ex-Instagram users who do not wish to share their reasons for leaving the platform with Meta can simply opt for the generic “Something else.”
Step 3: Enter Your Password and Delete Your Account
Instagram will now ask you to enter your password again. The platform will tell you on which date your account will be permanently deleted if you go ahead. This takes approximately a month, giving you a window within which you can still change your mind and retrieve your Instagram account.
Enter your Instagram password and click on the blue button that says “Delete [Instagram account name]”.
Your browser will now open a box that asks you if you are sure that you want to delete the Instagram account. Click “OK”.
How to Delete a Minor’s Instagram Account as a Parent
Parents who discover that their children are using Instagram without their permission may wonder what they can do to delete the account. Instagram makes it quite clear that the platform does not offer this option, and that parents cannot take special steps to delete their teenagers’ Instagram accounts.
However, Instagram does require all its users to be at least 13 years old. Parents of younger children can navigate to Instagram’s “Report an Underage User on Instagram” page.
This requires parents to enter their child’s full legal name and date of birth, as well as the name of the Instagram account. Parents also have to give Instagram their email address.
How to Temporarily Suspend an Instagram Account
Temporarily suspending an Instagram account allows users to keep all their photos and other content on the platform while making it impossible for others to view the account.
The process of temporarily suspending an Instagram account is slightly easier than permanently deleting one:
Step 1: Find “Temporarily Disable my Account” in Your “Edit Profile” Section
Open a web browser and log into your Instagram account and go to the “Edit profile” section. Find “Temporarily disable my account” at the very bottom of this section.
Step 2: Tell Instagram Why You Want to Suspend Your Account
Choose a reason from the dropdown menu Instagram provides you with.
Step 3: Confirm Your Choice
Enter your password and verify that you want to temporarily disable your Instagram account.
How to Recover a Recently-Deleted Instagram Account
Users who have recently deleted their Instagram accounts but have changed their mind and would like to keep using the account can retrieve the account within 30 days.
To resume using the account, you only need to log in and verify that you would like to keep the Instagram account. That’s it! The platform makes this so much easier than deleting an account!
Things to Consider Before Deleting Your Instagram Account
Users who are getting ready to delete their Instagram account will already have considered the basics, like the impact the loss of followers could have on a business, or the fact that it will no longer be possible to save photos once an account is gone.
People who previously ran successful Instagram accounts or used accounts to promote a business should be aware that deleting an Instagram account will, once the process is complete, return the account name to the pool of available usernames.
This means that people looking for your old account could stumble on someone using your old account name. Someone wishing to impersonate you could also make use of this fact.
One alternative to deleting your Instagram account would be to empty it of all content but to keep it active, so that nobody can take the account name over. This step may be the more privacy-conscious one.