HOW TO DELETE YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

To comply with Apple’s updated App Store guidelines, Instagram added the option to delete your account directly through the app.

While it was previously possible to delete your Instagram Account only through a web browser, Apple’s policy stated that developers that offer apps with account creation must also support the deletion of accounts through the app.

With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is the most popular social networking platform behind Facebook. That said, you might simply be bored with the platform, and want to delete your account.

You must be aware that account deletion is permanent and once completed, it deletes all the data on your profile, including your followers.

That said, you still have 30 days after requesting deletion to stop the process. All you have to do is log back into your account. If you want to temporarily stop using Instagram, you can instead deactivate your Instagram account.

The simplest way for iPhone users to delete their Instagram accounts is directly from the app.

• To do so, you visit your profile, tap the menu icon in the upper right corner, and select Settings. Then tap on Account, and locate the Delete account button at the bottom, above the blue Switch to Professional Account.
• The app then brings up a prompt asking whether you want to deactivate or delete your account.
• Pressing the Delete account button will bring up a message informing you that you can stop the deletion process by logging back into your account before a certain period. Note that you cannot recover your Instagram account if it has been over 30 days since you requested deletion.
• Tapping the red Continue deleting account button brings up a webpage where you answer a question about your reason for deleting the account, and finally, enter your password to complete the process.

With several ex-employees of Google, Apple, and even Meta (previously Facebook) revealing that Instagram is designed to be addictive, this process might be more of a mental ordeal than you think. Getting the detox, however, can surely impact your mental health and emotional well-being.

If you cannot access your phone or the app does not seem to work for some reason, you can delete your account from a computer, tablet, or phone through the use of a web browser.

• The easiest way to delete your Instagram account is to follow the link on Instagram’s Delete Your Account page. The browser will ask you to log in first if you aren’t logged in to Instagram.
• After entering your credentials, you will be redirected to a page where you choose your reason for deleting your account from a dropdown. Depending on your choice, you could be shown links to Instagram’s help center to resolve your issue or promise to fix your issues.
• After picking an option, a box will appear below the dropdown that asks you to reenter your password. After doing so, you simply select the Delete (your account name) button and confirm.
• Instagram notifies you that your account will not be deleted at the moment, with Meta keeping it around for 30 days. A message tells you the exact date when your account will be deleted.

According to Instagram, it may take up to 90 days after your request to complete the deletion process.

During that period, your content will remain in the backup storage for recovery in case of an error or some other problematic event. The information may also be kept for legal issues, terms violations, or harm prevention efforts.

If you are within the 30-day time period of deleting your account, you can recover all your data simply by logging in with your Instagram credentials.

• A message saying that you previously requested the deletion of your account will appear.
• To stop the process, simply press the Keep Account button.

If your account has been deleted, you can sign up again with the same username as long as it has not been taken up by a new Instagram user.

The new account will not have any data from the previous account, including Posts, DMs, and followers.

However, if your account has been removed from Instagram for violating their Community Guidelines, you may not be able to use the same username to create an account.

Instagram also allows you to have your account disappear from public view without having to delete it.

To suspend your account, however, you will have to access the web version of Instagram.

• After logging into your Instagram account, go to your profile and click the Edit Profile Button. If using a mobile browser, you can do so by selecting the gear icon.
• You then go to Edit Profile and select the Temporarily disable my account option found at the bottom of the list. Just like deleting your account, you will have to give the reason for disabling your account from a dropdown, and then enter your password.
• Finally, you can click the Temporarily Disable Account button to have your account suspended and hidden, from the public, including your followers.

To re-enable your account, simply log in using the app or website. You should remember that an account can be suspended only once a week, and logging back in will make your posts and other data visible to your followers.