Deactivating vs Deleting: What You Need to Know

Depending on your preferences, you can deactivate or permanently erase your Instagram account.

Deactivating your account is only temporary, however, it will hide your profile, followers, images, likes, and comments from other people while it is removed. Simply log back into your account to restore all of this information and resume normal use of Instagram.

You can’t undo deleting your Instagram account, and you can’t reinstate a deleted account. When you delete your Instagram account, all of your data is permanently wiped, including images, followers, likes, and so on. If you decide to sign up for Instagram again in the future, neither you nor anyone else will be allowed to use the same username.

Deactivating an Instagram Account

Instagram cannot be deactivated using the app; it must be done through a web browser on the Instagram website. If you wish to take a break from Instagram, follow these steps to deactivate your account:

1. On the Instagram website, log in to your account and click on the person icon to go to your profile page.
2. Select ‘Edit Profile’, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click ‘Temporarily disable my account’.
3. You will be asked ‘Why are you disabling your account?’, select a reason from the drop-down menu.
4. Re-enter your password and select ‘Temporarily disable account’.
5. Your account is now deactivated and it will be hidden from other users until you log in to it once again. NOTE: As per Instagram’s usage policy, you can only deactivate your Instagram account once a week.

Downloading Your Instagram Data

Once you’ve deleted your Instagram account, all of your data is gone for good – it cannot be retrieved.

Therefore, you may want to download your Instagram data before you delete your account, so you still have all the photos, videos, etc. that you have posted over time. To download a copy of your Instagram data:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and select ‘Settings‘ (gear icon).
2. Click on the ‘Privacy & Security tab and click ‘Request Download’.
3. Enter the email address where you would like to receive a link to your Instagram data, followed by your password.
4. Within 48 hours you should receive an email with a link to your data, titled ‘Your Instagram Data’. Click ‘Download Data’.

Step-By-Step Guide: How to Delete Your Instagram Account

An Instagram account can only be erased through a web browser, just like it can be deactivated. Follow these simple steps to permanently erase your Instagram account:

1. Log in to your account on the Instagram website.
2. Log in to your account on the Instagram website.
3. Enter your password and click ‘Permanently delete my account
4. Your Instagram account is now deleted