How to Delete Instagram or Temporarily Disable Your Account

You may find that Instagram helps you stay connected to the people, companies and interests that matter. However, it’s helpful to know how to delete Instagram or take other actions.

Maybe using Instagram has been more stressful than fun lately. Perhaps you scroll through the feed while trying to get to sleep and inevitably come across things that disrupt your slumber.  It’s also becoming trendy to do a social media cleanse and see how your life changes without it

No matter what’s made you think about doing it, here’s how to delete Instagram or put your account on pause. 

What Happens When You Delete Instagram?

Deleting your Instagram account removes your profile and all its associated data. That includes any content you’ve posted, as well as any interactions made by your followers. You may want to download your data before deleting Instagram because you can’t access the information after the fact. 

 If you decide to sign up for Instagram again someday after deleting your account, you can potentially select the same username you had before.

At least, that’s the case as long as another person hasn’t taken it and you did not violate Instagram’s community guidelines when using the service before. 

How to Delete Instagram

If you’re ready to go ahead with deleting Instagram, start by going to the site’s Delete Your Account page. You can’t delete your account from within the Instagram app and must go to that page on a computer or via a mobile browser.  If you’re not already logged in, you’ll need to do it after reaching the Delete Your Account page.

You must then indicate why you want to delete your account by selecting a reason from a drop-down menu. You won’t see the option to permanently delete your account until after choosing a reason. 

Depending on the selected option, you may see a response from Instagram addressing the deletion reason. However, if you still want to proceed, you’ll need to enter your password again. After that, you can click on Delete [username].

You’ll see a message that says your data remains with Instagram but invisible to the public for 30 days. It provides a specific date until which you could log back into your account and keep it if you change your mind about deleting Instagram. 

How to Disable Your Instagram Account

Maybe you just want a break from Instagram, or you’re not quite ready to make the commitment that deletion demands. That’s okay. There’s a second option to temporarily disable your account. Doing that lets you pause Instagram and reactivate it by logging in when you’re ready to use it again. None of your data gets deleted in this case. 

Log into your Instagram account from a computer or mobile browser. You can’t disable it through the app. 

Then, click or tap your profile picture in the top right of the screen. Choose Profile and the Edit Profile button on the next screen. If using a mobile browser, you’ll need to click the Settings icon to get the profile-related choices. 

Scroll to the bottom of the Edit Profile screen and select Temporarily Disable My Account. Then, thee, the steps are the same as for deleting your account in that you’ll need to select a reason for disabling and enter your password to confirm it. 

Instagram is reportedly testing alternative wording for the account-disabling option. So, it might let you temporarily deactivate your account instead. If you see that phrase, don’t worry. The steps above still apply, but you’ll see the word “deactivate” rather than “disable.”

Hesitant to Delete or Disable Instagram? Try These Other Options

It’s useful to know how to delete Instagram or disable it, but there are other solutions, too. They primarily relate to how you use the platform and involve specific profile tweaks.

Your Instagram account is public by default. However, you can make it private so that only approved followers see the content you share. Alternatively, you can delete photos and videos previously published on your account. 

Maybe you find a particular follower’s content distressing. You can mute their posts so that the content no longer appears in your feed. It’s also possible to block Instagram users, even if they create new profiles as a workaround. If you’re not ready to go to that extent, consider preventing them from commenting on your posts. Then, they’ll see the comments they attempt to post, but no one else will. 

Use Instagram in the Ways That Work Best for You

Now you know how to delete Instagram and or take non-permanent options, you’re in a good position to take more control over how and when you use social media. Using Instagram or any similar service should be enjoyable. If it’s not, think about doing some of the things you just learned to improve your experience.