Instagram is one of the social media giants of today. Having over 1 billion monthly visitors, the site is one of the most popular on the planet. It is under the same parent company, Meta, as Facebook, WhatsApp and LinkedIn. Although it offers quite a lot, there may be times when one may need to take a break from the platform for several reasons such as social media addiction or even leave it completely.
This blog will guide you on how you can both disable your account for a while or wholly delete it. It is, however, recommended that one understands what happens when they decide to take this action.
When you delete your account, the following happens:
- The username used on your account eventually gets released for others to claim.
- Everything in the account including photos, videos, likes and followers will be deleted.
- The account cannot be reactivated after 30 days since deletion have passed.
- If you change your mind, the platform gives you a period of 14-30 days to undo the action.
How to Delete Instagram Account Permanently
Now that you are aware of the consequences of taking this step, let’s proceed:
1. How to Delete Instagram Account on Android
Deleting your account is currently not supported even on the latest version of the Android app. Therefore, you have to be logged in to instagram account on your device’s web browser.
Follow the steps below:
- Sign in to your account on the web and search for the account deletion page. You can also click on this link.to visit the page.
- Click on the drop-down menu and choose the reason for deleting your account.
- Enter your password on the next textbox to proceed.
- Tap on the delete *account-name* option.
The next page will display the date your account will be deleted for good, 30 days after.
2. How to Delete Instagram Account on iPhone or iPad
Unlike it’s android version, the iOS Instagram app allows you to delete your account directly from the settings. However, the method used for Android can be used on any iOS browser as well.
To delete your account from the iOS app, do the following:
- Ensure your app version is the latest and open it on your device.
- Click on the profile picture at the bottom right then click on the three horizontal lines on the top right.
- Select the Account menu option.
- Tap on Delete Account to confirm your selection
- Select ‘Continue Deleting Account’ and choose the reason for taking the action.
- Re-enter your Instagram password and tap on Delete.
- Tap OK to complete the process.
3. How to Delete Instagram Account on the Web
To follow this method, you must have a desktop computer or laptop. It is quite similar to the method used on Android devices.
Follow the steps indicated below:
- Sign in to your account and navigate to the Instagram account deletion webpage by searching or clicking here.
- Once signed in, select the reason for deleting your account from the dropdown menu.
- After selecting the reason, enter your account password and click on Delete my account.
After that, the 30-day process of deleting your account begins.
Disable Instagram Account Temporarily
Instagram also offers the option to suspend your account by yourself without having to delete all your account data such as posts and videos. This is especially way better because there is no time frame by which you have to reactivate your account. To reactivate the account even years later, simply login on the website or mobile app.
This method can only be done using a web browser either on a smartphone or desktop. Incase you plan to return to the platform later on, this method is for you. Follow the steps below to disable your account on your desktop:
- Open the Instagram website normally and sign in to your account.
- Navigate to your profile page and click on Edit profile.
- On the Edit profile menu, scroll down to the bottom and click on a link labelled as Temporarily deactivate my account.
- Select the reason for disabling and enter your password for security on the redirect page.
- Click on the Temporarily deactivate account button and confirm by clicking OK.
The account will be disabled successfully and hidden from all Instagram users.
Visit this page to learn how to access Instagram on school and work networks anonymously.
How to Reactivate Instagram Account after Deleting Permanently or Disabling
To reactivate your account, you simply need to login from any device and the account will be back up.
However, if you deleted the account permanently, this can only be done before 30 days are over.
Conclusion
Depending on the reason, be sure that you are aware of what happens after you take any of the above actions. In case of any queries, be sure to ask on the comment section below.
