When media becomes too social: The most common times people delete social media apps

Methodology

This analysis is based on Google search volume data, obtained via Ahrefs, covering the period from April 2024 to March 2025. NordVPN researchers tracked monthly search interest in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the UK for phrases related to deleting social media accounts on major platforms, such as ways to delete Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and TikTok. The monthly average was then calculated and separately compared with all months of the research, highlighting noticeable spikes. 

When do people delete their social media apps most often? 

Users searching for ways to delete Facebook, Tinder, or Instagram is not direct evidence of them actually deleting those social media apps. However, the increase and decrease of such search queries can suggest particular trends. Here are the most common times when people search for instructions on how to delete their social media apps.

New year, old resolutions

January is by far the most popular time to log off from social media. According to collected data from the US population, the number of queries for how to delete Facebook alone jumped by 67.6% during the first month of 2025. And that’s not all. The number of searches on how to delete WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat increased by 56.6%, 42.6%, and 19.6%, respectively, in the same period (US data).

The rest of the participating English-speaking countries follow this trend too. The data shows that out of all apps, Instagram seems to be by far the most popular app to say goodbye to in January with more than 480,000 search queries in the US, 80,000+ in the UK, 40,000+ in Australia, and 30,000+ in Canada.

Since the start of the year is often a time when people tend to come up with new resolutions for the upcoming year, it’s sensible to assume that such increases may be tied to these resolutions. Users may choose to delete social media apps as part of their New Year commitments to spend less time on social media or as a detox, similar to the Dry January or Sober October. In addition, January is  considered or experienced by some as the slowest month of the year, which might be an additional reason for people to delete their social media apps without suffering stress due to not being online (also known as the fear of missing out, or FOMO).

Sunshine in, apps out

Summer was the second most popular time for users to get rid of their social media apps in 2024. Based on US data, in the month of July, deletion-related queries for apps such as Snapchat and TikTok increased by 23.3% and 21% respectively, while the number of those looking to delete Instagram grew by 14.6%. It would seem that people in the US were not keen on using Facebook either — the search queries for deleting this app increased by 9.4% during July. In Australia, the trend shifted to May (for Facebook), suggesting a potential relation to social media detox as part of Mental Health Awareness month. 

In the UK, the US, and Canada, Instagram was by far the most popular app to delete during the summer (with an average of 63,469, 374,023, and 32,361 searches per month, respectively — more than yearly average in all three countries). Australians during the summer of 2024 were slightly more in favor of deleting Facebook, with a total of 126,377 searches compared to 123,655 for Instagram.

The reason why some may choose to hit pause on their social media apps in summer can have a lot to do with the slower pace of the season. While for some, June, July, and August mark the time to enjoy the vacation period and share their summer adventures online, others may see this period as an opportunity to reclaim their privacy and reconnect with nature. The results of the research seem to confirm this hypothesis.

Tips for successful digital detox

It’s safe to say that people may experience significant mental burnout related to the use of social media. With an abundance of emotionally charged content, personal opinions, ads, and overall noise, it’s easy for someone to get overwhelmed and begin searching for ways to go off-grid. While deleting social media apps is a step in the right direction, it might not be enough. So here are a few strategies to help make a digital detox stick:

• Set boundaries with tech. Turn off notifications, schedule app limits, and avoid screen time before bed.
• Go grayscale. Switching your phone to black and white reduces the visual appeal of social apps.
• Replace, don’t just remove. Deleting apps is a good start, but swapping screen time with books, walks, or in-person time helps the habit stick.

Remember, when dealing with social media, balance is the key. Implementing some guardrails and balancing your screen time can do wonders for your mental health while keeping you in the loop of the latest news, trends, and developments.