You can only deactivate or delete your Instagram account from a desktop or mobile browser by logging into the website, but not from the official app.
With the idea of digital detox gaining momentum and social media apps especially gaining negative attention for taking up too much of the users’ time. In fact, it’s not just that social media apps are a time suck, but Facebook’s own research shows Instagram creates negative body image issues among teenage girls! With such issues cropping up every now and then, there’s a call to delete or deactivate Instagram accounts. Deactivating your Instagram ID is a temporary solution to get rid of the app from your phone, with all your data and profile still being stored with the company. On the other hand, if delete Instagram ID is on your mind, you would permanently remove all your data from the company’s servers, including photos, videos, comments, likes, followers, etc. If you want to exercise either of the options and want to learn how to deactivate or delete Instagram, then this step-by-step guide is for you.
How to temporarily deactivate Instagram account on mobile phone and desktop
To answer your questions about how to disable Instagram account temporarily, follow the below steps.
If you want to deactivate Instagram account on mobile, the first thing to know is that the feature isn’t available on the app. You will need to head to the service’s mobile website to temporarily disable Instagram account.
- Go to https://www.instagram.com from a mobile browser or a desktop computer, and log in using the Instagram ID you wish to deactivate
- Tap or click your profile icon from the top-right corner and then select Profile
- Select the Edit Profile option from the following screen and scroll down until you see the Temporarily disable my account option
- After you’ve tapped on the disable button, Instagram will show you a page with a drop-down menu next to Why are you disabling your account? You’ll need to pick an option from the menu and then re-enter your password. The drop-down menu includes options such as Created a second account, Can’t find people to follow, Concerned about my data, Just need a break, Privacy concerns, Too busy/ too distracting, and Want to remove something. You can also pick the Something else option if you don’t want to specify your reason for temporary deactivation
- Tap or click the Temporarily Disable Account button on the phone or desktop to disable it for a while and take a break from the service
Once you’ve followed all the steps, you have been successful in temporarily disabling Instagram ID. If you ever want to get back on the social media app, all your data will be there. You can reactivate it by simply logging back in with your login ID and password. Until the Instagram account has not been reactivated, your profile, photos, comments, and likes will be hidden from other users on the platform. Lastly, you will only be able to deactivate your Instagram account once a week.
How to permanently delete Instagram ID on mobile phone and desktop
For a more permanent solution, you can delete your Instagram account as well as all the associated data. Again this can be done using a web browser, not the Instagram app. Follow the steps below:
- To delete Instagram account, go to the Delete Your Account page on the desktop or mobile site and login
- Select the options from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? The options are pretty much the same as the ones you get when you deactivate Instagram accounts, namely Too many ads, Privacy concerns, Concerned about my data, Created a second account, Trouble getting started, Want to remove something, and Can’t find people to follow.
- Enter the password and hit that Permanently delete my account option from the bottom of the screen
If you decide to follow through with the Instagram.com account delete process, all your photos, comments, likes, and followers on the app will be removed permanently. However, you will still be with the service for 30 days; however, other users of the app won’t be able to see any of your photos, likes, followers, comments, etc. On the server end of things, your data may remain with Meta/ Facebook/ Instagram for up to 90 days in a backup server but you still won’t have access to it after Day 31 of deleting your Instagram account permanently.
How to download your Instagram data before deleting account
Deleting Instagram accounts (at least permanently) will remove all your data, including photos, videos, followers, and more. Furthermore, there is no way to recover them. So, if you wish to delete the Instagram account but don’t want to get rid of photos and posts, we would advise you to backup the data first.
Follow the steps below if you don’t know how to download your Instagram data before deleting account
- Fire up your Instagram app. In case, you are on PC, visit Instagram.com
- Log in, if you haven’t, and tap on your profile icon
- Choose the hamburger icon and select Settings
- Look for Download Data, which is normally under Security, but you can use the search box as well
- Within Download Data, you will see a ‘Request Download’ button
- Hit that button to download all your Instagram data before deleting your account
Once the request to download Instagram data is made, you will get an email with a link to a file consisting of all your photos, comments, profile information and more within 48 hours.
So that’s how you can download data and temporarily deactivate or permanently delete Instagram accounts from the desktop or mobile site. We hope this step-by-step guide helps you get rid of the distractions the app is known for!
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