How do i delete my instagram account on my phone

  • You can delete your Instagram account permanently from the account deletion page.
  • If you think you might want to recover your Instagram account later, you can also deactivate it temporarily.
  • To delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you'll need to use a web browser, not the app.
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites around — and one of the most addicting. If you want to tone down your Instagram habits, you can always delete or deactivate your Instagram account.

The difference between the two options is that deleting your Instagram account is permanent, while deactivating is temporary and lets you get your account back later.

To delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you'll need to use a desktop web browser or the web browser on your smartphone. You can't do it through the mobile app.

Here's how to do both.

How to delete your Instagram account permanently

1. On a desktop or mobile web browser, go to the Instagram website and log into your account using your username and password.

2. Once logged in, go to the account deletion page. 

3. From the drop-down menu at the top of the screen, choose the reason that you're deleting your account. 

4. Once you've chosen your reason for deleting, you'll be asked to re-enter your password. Do so, and then click the blue Delete [Account Name] button.

You'll have to explain why you're deleting the account. Instagram

Instagram notes that it'll take a month for your data to be fully erased. Until then, your account will just be hidden from public view.

How to deactivate your Instagram account temporarily

If you think you want to recover your Instagram account later, you should disable it temporarily. This hides it from public view, but lets you restore it whenever you like.

1. Log into your Instagram account on the web and go to your profile page, then click Edit profile at the top of the page.

2. At the bottom of the page that opens, select Temporarily disable my account.

The option to disable your account will be at the bottom of the page. William Antonelli/Insider

3. Select a reason that you're disabling your account and re-enter your password.

4. Click Temporarily Disable Account.

Give a reason and your password. William Antonelli/Insider

To reactivate your account in the future, simply log back into the Instagram app with your username and password. 

Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV. She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.

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William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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No matter your reasoning, whether it’s privacy concerns, mental health problems or issues with productivity, deleting your Instagram account has a lot of upsides. Unfortunately, you can’t do so from within the app, so follow these steps if you want to learn how to delete Instagram for good.

Key Takeaways:

  • If you’re sick of Instagram, you can either disable your account or delete it for good.
  • Before deleting your account, it’s a good idea to download your data through the Instagram app.
  • Once you’re ready to delete or disable your account, you’ll have to do so through a web browser.

Whether you’re tired of all the ads or creating posts just isn’t as much fun as it used to be, there are many reasons you might want to get rid of your Insta.

There are two options if you’re looking to get the social network out of your life: one permanent and one temporary. We’ll show you how to do both, as well as how to download your Instagram data so that you don’t lose access to any photos or videos that you’ve posted over the years.

  • You can’t. In order to delete or deactivate your Instagram account, you’ll have to visit the account deletion page with a web browser.

  • There are different but equally valid reasons to get rid of your Instagram account. If you’re concerned with digital privacy, then it’s a bad idea to allow the app to hand over your images, location data and communications to its parent company, Meta (formerly Facebook after a rebrand). Another reason is the potential for detrimental effects on your mental health from social media usage.

How to Delete Instagram Account: First Download Your Data

You might want to download your Instagram data before you permanently delete your account. Once you finish, all your posts, stories and chats will be permanently removed, with no way to undo the process.

Doing so is relatively simple. Open up the Instagram app on your phone, press the three lines menu icon in the top right and tap “settings.” From there, select “security,” then “download data.”

Verify that the displayed email is the correct one and press “request download.” You will receive a copy of your data within 48 hours. The email will contain all the photos you’ve posted, but not your messages.

Although you can request your data through the mobile app, you’ll need to turn to the Instagram website through a web browser — either on a computer or a mobile device — to delete your account.

  1. Log in to Your Account

    Open a web browser and go to the Instagram deletion page. Enter your credentials and click “log in.”

    instagram account password
  2. Select a Reason for Deleting Your Account

    You’ll now see a dropdown menu. Here you can select one of eight options for why you want to delete your account. Select any of them.

    desktop instagram page
  3. Enter Your Password and Delete Your Account

    Your Instagram account will now be invisible to other users, including your followers. If you change your mind about deleting your account, you have 30 days to log back in with your username and password to undo the deletion.

    permanently delete instagram

How to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account

If permanently deleting your account sounds a bit too final for you, you can also deactivate your Instagram account temporarily, which gives you the option to reactivate it at a later date. As with account deletion, you’ll have to do this on your computer or via a mobile browser.

  1. Log in to Your Instagram Account

    Go to instagram.com on your computer’s web browser or a mobile browser. Enter your login credentials and click the “log in” button.

    temporarily disable account login
  2. Go to Your Profile

    Click your profile picture in the top right of the browser window and select “profile.”

    person icon
  3. Edit Your Profile

    Once on your profile page, click on the button that says “edit profile.”

    edit profile
  4. Request to Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account

    Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link that says “temporarily disable my account.”

    temporarily disable my account
  5. Provide a Reason for Disabling Your Account

    Select an option from the dropdown menu. You’ll then be asked to re-enter your password. Do so and then click or tap on the button that says “temporarily disable account.”

    re-enter password

With that, your Instagram account is disabled. That means that it won’t be searchable for other users, and you won’t be able to log back in without reactivating it.

Final Thoughts: Leaving Instagram

All in all, deleting or disabling your Instagram account is a simple enough process. Unfortunately there’s no way to do so in the iPhone or Android app, but having to use a browser only makes the deletion process slightly more complicated. If you’re in a restrictive country, be sure to use one of the best VPNs for Instagram.

We also have a guide on how to delete Facebook, or you can change your Facebook privacy settings instead.

What did you think of our guide to deleting your Instagram account? Did the step-by-step guide make the process clear, or are you still struggling? Finally, what made you want to delete or deactivate Instagram? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.

How do I delete my Instagram account 2022?

Instagram.com from a mobile browser:.
Go to the Delete Your Account page. If you're not logged into Instagram on the web, you'll be asked to log in first..
Select an option from the dropdown menu below Why do you want to delete [account name]? and re-enter your password. ... .
Tap Delete [username]..