Sick of Social Media? How to Deactivate or Delete Your Instagram Account

Are you sick of Instagram? Maybe you once enjoyed the service for sharing your favorite photos or following your friends, but now you want to pull the plug. In that case, the social media app offers a couple of options.

If you just want to take a break from the service on the chance you might return to it in the future, you can deactivate your account. This will make it inactive until you sign back in. If you definitely want to cut the cord, you can delete your account for good. This will remove your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers. Here’s how to perform both actions.

How to Deactivate Your Instagram Account

(Credit: Lance Whitney)

If you want to disable your account from the mobile app, open the hamburger icon in the top-right corner and select Settings > Account > Delete Account. You’ll be asked if you want to deactivate the account instead of deleting it. Tap the button for Deactivate account.

At the next screen, select a reason for deactivating the account and then decide if you want to reactivate your account in a certain number of days. Enter your Instagram password, then tap the Temporarily Deactivate Account button. Tap Yes to confirm. If you ever want to reactivate your account, just open the app again and sign in.

(Credit: Instagram/Lance Whitney)

You can also do this from a web browser. Open to the Instagram website and sign in with your account. From your account homepage, click your profile icon at the top and then select Settings. Click the Temporarily disable my account link at the bottom.

At the next screen, select the reason you want to disable your account and decide if you want the account reactivated in a certain number of days. Type your password and then click Temporarily Disable Account.

(Credit: Instagram/Lance Whitney)

A pop-up message will ask you for final confirmation, giving you one more chance to change your mind. Click Yes to disable your account. If you change your mind and want to reactivate your account, sign back into Instagram, and your account is reactivated.

How to Delete Your Instagram Account

(Credit: Lance Whitney)

To permanently delete your account, tap the hamburger icon in the upper-right corner of the app and choose Settings > Account > Delete account. Confirm your action by tapping the option for Continue deleting account.

(Credit: Instagram/Lance Whitney)

You’re then asked why you want to delete the account. Choose an answer from the drop-down menu. Enter your password and then tap the Delete button. Tap OK to confirm the deletion, and your account is no more. If you want to revive your account, open the app and sign back on. However, you must do this within a month in order to recover your information.

(Credit: Lance Whitney)

You can also take this drastic step from the Delete Your Account page(Opens in a new window) on the web. Click on the drop-down menu and select a response to indicate why you’re deleting your account. Enter your password and then click the Delete button to. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

(Credit: Lance Whitney)

Your account is recoverable for another month. Sign back in within that time to revive your account; otherwise it will be permanently removed.