Whether you’re taking a break from social media or looking to permanently delete your Instagram account, deactivating your account is a simple process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to deactivate your account and provide tips for managing your social media presence.
Difference between deactivating and deleting your account
Deactivating your Instagram account
- When you deactivate your Instagram account, your profile, photos, comments, and likes will be hidden from other users.
- Your account will not be visible on Instagram, and people won’t be able to find you.
- Deactivating your account is temporary, and you can reactivate it at any time by logging back into Instagram.
- If you choose to reactivate your account, your profile, photos, comments, and likes will be restored to their previous state.
- Deactivating your account is a good option if you want to take a break from Instagram but don’t want to lose your content or followers.
Deleting your Instagram account
- When you delete your Instagram account, your profile, photos, comments, likes, and followers will be permanently removed.
- You will not be able to reactivate your account, and your data cannot be restored after 30 days of deletion of the account.
- Before you delete your account, you should download a copy of your data from Instagram, as this cannot be done after the account is deleted.
- Deleting your account is a good option if you want to permanently remove all of your Instagram content and data.
- Once you delete your account, you will not be able to use the same username to create a new account.
How To Deactivate Instagram Account?
Temporarily Deactivate Your Instagram Account
If you’ve decided to take a break from Instagram, or simply want to deactivate your account for other reasons, you can do so easily by following these two methods:
Method 1:
- Step 1: Log in to your account.
- Step 2: After login into your Instagram account open the Temporarily Deactivate Your Account page.
- Step 3: Select the reason why are you deactivating your account. And re-enter your password to continue the process and make the “Temporarily Deactivate Account” button clickable.
- Step 4: Click the button “Temporarily Deactivate Account”.
Method 2:
- Step 1: Open the Instagram app on your mobile device or go to Instagram.com on your web browser.
- Step 2: Log in to your account.
- Step 3: Click on the three horizontal lines icon (≡) in the top right corner of the screen in the mobile app or if you log in through the web browser then click on the gear icon (⚙︎) in the top right corner of the browser.
Note: The same steps apply from Step 4 to Step 12, whether using a Mobile app or Web Browser.
- Step 4: Click on the “Settings and privacy” option.
- Step 5: Click the “Accounts Centre” option.
- Step 6: Click the “Personal details” option.
- Step 7: Click the “Account ownership and control” and then click the “Deactivation or deletion” option.
- Step 8: Select the account you’d like to temporarily deactivate.
- Step 9: Select the “Deactivate account” option, then click Continue.
- Step 10: For security reasons, you need to re-enter your Instagram account password to continue.
- Step 11: Select the reason why you’re temporarily deactivating your Instagram account and click Continue.
- Step 12: At last, it will confirm that you’re temporarily deactivating your account, click the “Deactivate Account” option to continue the process.
And you’re done. Your account will be deactivated for as long as you want. When you’re ready to reactivate it, just log in again with your username and password, and your account will be restored.
Tip: There is a Weekly limit for deactivating your Instagram account. If you deactivated your account and then activate it. And then again try to deactivate your account within 7 days. It will give you a warning that: “You’ve reached the weekly deactivation limit for this Instagram account. Try again in 7 days.”
Note: It’s important to note that once you deactivate your Instagram account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will all be hidden from other users. Additionally, if you have a business account, you will not be able to access any insights or data related to your account after it’s been deactivated.
Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account
If you’re ready to permanently delete your account, you can do so easily by following these two methods:
Method 1:
- Step 1: Log in to your account.
- Step 2: After login into your Instagram account open the Delete your account page.
- Step 3: Select the reason why are you deleting your account. And re-enter your password to continue the process and make the “Delete” button clickable.
- Step 4: Click the button “Delete”.
Method 2:
- Step 1: Open the Instagram app on your mobile device or go to Instagram.com on your desktop.
- Step 2: Log in to your account.
- Step 3: Click on the three horizontal lines icon (≡) in the top right corner of the screen in the mobile app or if you login into the web browser then click on the gear icon (⚙︎) in the top right corner of the browser.
Note: The same steps apply from Step 4 to Step 12, whether using a Mobile app or Web Browser.
- Step 4: Click on the “Settings and privacy” option.
- Step 5: Click the “Accounts Centre” option.
- Step 6: Click the “Personal details” option.
- Step 7: Click the “Account ownership and control” and then click the “Deactivation or deletion” option.
- Step 8: Select the account you’d like to permanently delete.
- Step 9: Select the “Delete account” option, then click Continue.
- Step 10: Select the reason why you’re permanently deleting your Instagram account and click Continue.
- Step 11: For security reasons, you need to re-enter your Instagram account password to continue.
- Step 12: At last, it will confirm your permanent account deletion, click the “Delete account” option to continue the process.
And you’re done. Your account will be deleted permanently.
Note: Once you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will be permanently removed and cannot be restored. Therefore, make sure you want to permanently delete your account before proceeding.
Bonus Tip: After deleting your account you can un-delete it within the next 30 days of deletion. Do you want to know how to un-delete it? Then follow the steps given below.
How to Un-delete Your Instagram Account?
If you’ve deleted your Instagram account but now wish to restore it, you can follow these steps to un-delete your account:
- Step 1: Open the Instagram app or go to Instagram.com on your web browser.
- Step 2: Enter your previous/deleted Instagram username and password to log in.
- Step 3: If your account has been deleted for less than 30 days, you should see a message asking “Want to keep using this account?”. Click the “Keep Account” option to restore your account.
Note: If your account has been deleted for more than 30 days, you won’t be able to reactivate it, and you’ll need to create a new account instead.
Related Questions About Deleting An Instagram Account
Can I reactivate my Instagram account after deactivating it?
To reactivate it, just log in again with your username and password, and your account will be activated with all the previous data.
How long can I deactivate my Instagram account temporarily?
You can deactivate your Instagram account temporarily for as long as you want. Instagram allows users to deactivate their accounts for any length of time, from just a few days to several months or even years.
It’s important to note that if you don’t log in for an extended period of time, Instagram may eventually delete your account due to inactivity. However, Instagram has not specified exactly how long it takes for an inactive account to be deleted, so it’s best to reactivate your account periodically if you plan to keep it.
What happens if I deactivate my Instagram?
- Your profile, photos, comments, and likes will be hidden from other users on the platform.
- Your followers will not be notified that you have deactivated your account.
- You will not be able to access your account or post any new content until you reactivate it.
- You can reactivate your account at any time by logging back in with your username and password.
Can my friends still see me if I deactivate my Instagram?
No, your friends will not be able to see your profile or any of your content on Instagram if you deactivate your account. When you deactivate your account, your profile, photos, comments, and likes will be hidden from other users on Instagram. Your account will not be visible to anyone, and your friends will not be able to search for you on the platform.
However, it’s important to note that deactivating your Instagram account is not the same as deleting it. If you choose to reactivate your account later, your profile and all of your content will still be there.
How do you know if someone has deactivated their Instagram?
If someone has deactivated their Instagram account, you will not be able to find their profile or see any of their posts or comments on the platform. When you try to search for their username or view their profile, you may see a message that says “Sorry, this page isn’t available” or “User not found.”
However, it’s important to note that there are other reasons why you may not be able to find someone’s Instagram profile or see their posts. For example, they may have blocked you or set their profile to private. In these cases, you may also see a message that says “User not found” when you try to view their profile.
If you’re not sure whether someone has deactivated their Instagram account or if they have blocked you, you can try searching for their profile using a different account or asking a mutual friend if they can see the person’s profile.
How long to wait before reactivating your deactivating Instagram account?
If you have deactivated your Instagram account, you can reactivate it at any time by simply logging back in with your username and password. There is no set time that you need to wait before reactivating your account.
However, if you are having trouble logging back into your account after deactivating it, it’s possible that there may be a temporary hold on your account. In some cases, Instagram may require you to wait a few hours or even a few days before you can reactivate your account.
If you are experiencing any issues with reactivating your account, I recommend reaching out to Instagram’s support team for assistance. They may be able to provide more specific guidance based on your individual situation.