How to deactivate your Instagram account

If you’re reading this, chances are you also have at least one social network account you check daily. Your first choice may be Facebook, along with the other billion plus active monthly users. But if you prefer beautifully filtered photos to fake news articles, you just might be an Instagram fan, like other 700 million people around the world.

However, even though the overall number of Instagram users is still increasing, people concerned about privacy or simply tired of social media often choose to delete Instagram from their phones.

Why Get Rid of Instagram?

Having an Instagram account comes at a cost. Not only are you likely to spend every spare minute scrolling through a never-ending column of square photos, you are also giving up lots of personal information about yourself. Instagram’s privacy policy lists the following types of collected data:

• User-generated information: This includes everything from your username and password to the photos you post.
• Contacts information: If you use the “Find My Friends” option, Instagram will go through your contacts list and selected social media accounts.
• Analytics and cookies: Like many services, Instagram collects aggregate traffic and usage data, including the webpages you visit, add-ons, and other information. It also leaves cookies and other trackers on your device to monitor the way you use the service, and so do third-party advertisers.
• Log file information: Automatically provided by your browser, this information includes your IP address, browser type, domain names, landing pages, pages viewed, etc.
• Device information: Instagram can use “device identifiers” to determine the type of device you use to access the service.
• Metadata: This includes all the data associated with the content you post. For instance, it may describe how, when and by whom a photo was collected and how it is formatted.

Basically, everything you do on your device ends up being logged by Instagram, just like with most other social media services. If you want to change this, follow this guide to disable your Instagram account.

Temporary Break or Permanent Divorce?

There are two options for disabling your Instagram account: You can delete it temporarily or permanently. Either one requires just a few quick clicks and confirmations on the Instagram website, but first you need to know the difference between the two.

If you are undecided about the possibility of recovering access to your Instagram account in the future, Instagram gives a temporary deactivation option. This will simply make your data invisible, but all your content will still be there when you choose to come back.

If you decide to delete your account instead, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed. Once it’s done, you won’t be able to sign up again with the same username, or add the same username to another account.

How to Deactivate Instagram Account Temporarily

Step 1: Sign in to your Instagram account on a mobile browser or computer. You cannot remove your Instagram account from within the mobile app, which means you must visit the Instagram website.

Step 2: Tap or click the user icon in the top right, and then select Edit Profile.

Step 3: At the bottom of the Edit Profile screen, tap or click Temporarily disable my account.

Step 4: Select a reason why you are disabling your account by selecting an option from the dropdown menu. Then re-enter your password when prompted.

Step 5: Tap or click the Temporarily Disable Account button.

Whenever you want to reactivate the account, simply log back in. All your content, followers and other information will be there.

How to Delete Instagram Account Permanently

First of all, take a minute to think about what you’re intending to do. Understand that removing your Instagram account is permanent and you won’t be able to reactivate it. If you suspect that you may end up regretting it someday, try deactivating the account temporarily instead. If you are positive about your decision, proceed with the following steps:

Step 1: Sign in to your Instagram account on a mobile browser or computer. You cannot remove your Instagram account from within the mobile app, which means you must visit the Instagram website.

Step 2: Head to Instagram’s Delete Your Account page.

Step 3: Select a reason why you are deleting your account by selecting an option from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Enter your account password to confirm the account removal.

Step 5: Click or tap the Permanently Delete My Account button.

If you realize you want to delete a different account, click the username in the top-right corner of the Delete Your Account page and select Log Out. Log back into the account you want to delete and follow the steps above.

Related: 5 Instagram Safety Tips to Protect Your Privacy

Related: How to Unblock Instagram?

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