Resources How To Delete An Instagram Account: 2024 Ultimate Guide By Tamoghna Das Resources 5 comments Last Reviewed: September 10, 2024 If you want to delete your Instagram account, you probably won’t fall short of reasons. Maybe you’re tired of looking at your friend’s over-edited photos or just concerned about doomscrolling. Whatever the case, while you create the mandatory “goodbye Instagram” post with the latest background track, here’s our step-by-step guide on how to delete an Instagram account In This Article Toggle How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account From Your ComputerDesktopHow to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account From Your Phone (Android or iOS)AndroidiOSHow to Deactivate or Temporarily Disable Your AccountDeactivating vs. Deleting Your Instagram AccountHow to Reactivate Your Instagram AccountFAQsFinal WordsRelated Articles How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account From Your Computer Desktop Step 1: Go to the Instagram website via a desktop or mobile browser and log into your account using your credentials. Step 2: Once logged in, visit the Delete your account page. Step 3: Click on the drop-down from Why do you want to delete (username)? and choose a reason for deleting your account. Some options will give you an alternate answer that might help you make a choice, or you can select Something else if you don’t want to give a reason. Step 4: Once chosen, re-enter your password and click Delete (username) to delete your account permanently. How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account From Your Phone (Android or iOS) If you want to go ahead and delete your Instagram account permanently with your phone, you can do it in the following easy steps: Android Step 1: Tap your profile icon and click on More () on the top right of your screen. Step 2: Select Account Center, then tap on Personal Details. Accounts Center > Personal Details Step 3: Tap on Account Ownership and Control. After that, select Deactivation or Deletion. Ownership and Control > Deactivation or deletion Step 4: Now select the account, click Delete Account and Continue. Delete account > Continue iOS Step 1: Open your Instagram app and click the profile icon. Step 2: Next, tap the hamburger Menu and click Settings and Privacy in the list. Step 3: Select Account Center. Step 4: Tap on Personal Details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. Step 5: Click Delete Account at the bottom. Step 6: Instagram will notify you of the date after which you cannot retrieve your account. Now, click the Continue Deleting Account option. Step 7: After that, you have to answer a question about why you want to delete your account and then re-enter your password. Step 8: Now you can complete the process after tapping Delete (username) and Ok. How to Deactivate or Temporarily Disable Your Account You have an option to deactivate your account rather than permanently deleting it if you think that your break is temporary. Deactivating your account doesn’t mean it’s gone; it’s temporarily not in use and won’t appear on the platform until you reactivate it. Here’s how you can deactivate an Instagram account: Step 1: Log in to your Instagram account on a web browser. Step 2: Click on More () and tap on Accounts Centre. Temporarily disable your account instead of deleting it. Step 3: Go to Personal Details and click on Account ownership and control. Step 4: Tap on Deactivation or deletion and select the account you want to deactivate. Step 5: Select Deactivate account and tap on Continue. Choose deactivate account and press continue to confirm deactivation. Note: You won’t be able to reactivate your account immediately after deactivating it because the process takes a few hours to complete. Users can only deactivate their accounts once every seven days. Deactivating vs. Deleting Your Instagram Account Now that you know how to delete or deactivate an Instagram account, it’s time to decide whether you should permanently delete or temporarily deactivate your account. To help you make an informed decision, here are some critical differences between them: Deactivating Your Instagram Account Deleting Your Instagram Account You can retrieve your account at any time. Deleting is permanent and cannot be undone after 30 days. This option preserves all your Instagram content. Deleting removes all your content, such as photos, likes and followers. You can hide your username while deactivating the account so no one can use it. Someone else might start using your username after you delete your account. If you want to take a break from Instagram and have plans to reuse it in the future, go for this option. If you’re 100% sure that you don’t want to retrieve any of your data and want to close your Instagram account for good, this is the right step for you. How to Reactivate Your Instagram Account If you’re having second thoughts or missing your account already, Instagram gives you 30 days to retrieve the account (counting from the day you deleted it). Your account won’t be visible between now and then. On the 30th day, the account gets completely removed, which means you cannot reactivate it. If you are within the 30-day limit, you can simply log back in from your mobile app or browser and click the Keep Account option. Log back in to retrieve your account. FAQs Why can’t I delete my Instagram account? If you’re not logged into your account, Instagram won’t be able to remove it due to safety reasons. If you’re not able to delete your account through a web browser, try clearing the cache and cookies and refresh. You can also try using a different browser. If the issue persists, try again after a while, as it can be a temporary problem on Instagram’s end. Does deleting the Instagram app delete your account? No, deleting the Instagram app from your phone doesn’t automatically delete your account. You have to manually delete your account to remove all your data. Why is my deleted account still visible? Once you delete your Instagram account, it won’t be visible anymore. If it’s still visible, it may indicate that you’ve deleted the Instagram app from your phone and not your account. In such cases, you can reinstall the app and follow the steps given above to delete your account. After confirming the deletion, your account will no longer be visible. How do I save my data before deleting my Instagram account? Instagram lets you save your data before deleting your Instagram account. Download the backup before deleting it to ensure you don’t lose any data. Follow these steps to save your data if you’re using the Instagram app: Step 1: Go to Your activity. Step 2: Tap Download your information. Step 3: Click on Request Download. Step 4: Select Next, then click Done. If you’re trying to save your data from your desktop or laptop, follow these steps: Step 1: Log into your account and go to Settings. Step 2: Go to Privacy & Security. Step 3: Click Request Download. Step 4: Tap Next and select the Information Format (HTML or JSON). After this, Instagram will email you a downloadable file with all your data. Can I delete my Instagram account if I’ve forgotten my password? Unfortunately, you can’t delete your Instagram account without your username and password. However, if you’ve forgotten your old password, you can create a new one using the “Forgotten Your Password” option on the login page. Should I deactivate my Instagram account? If you want to take a temporary break from Instagram, deactivating your account is a good choice. Remember, once you permanently delete your account, you won’t be able to retrieve your data anymore. Final Words So there you have it, you have successfully deleted or temporarily disabled your Instagram account. Did we miss any tips, tricks or repercussions to this process? If so, let us know in the comments! 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