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.

Source: Business Insider

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.

Quick note: 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 app.

If, like many internet users, you wonder every now and then how to delete or deactivate your Instagram account because you are tired of the app or think it’s a distraction, then we have all the information you need! In fact, there could be many reasons why you would want to deactivate or delete Instagram account. Just like Facebook and other social media platforms, Instagram also provides you with the option to deactivate or delete your account. Deactivating Instagram account will make the account stop working temporarily, while delete option will permanently remove your profile as well as photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers. You should delete Instagram account only if you’ve decided to move on from the social networking app completely — once the account is deleted there is no way of bringing it back!     

Instagram, like its parent corporation Facebook, is no stranger to the odd privacy scandal.

In late 2018, it was reported that there was a security flaw in the Instagram feature ‘Download Your Data’, which leaked users passwords in plain text.

Ironic, as the feature was originally introduced to improve security and protect user’s privacy and data. Furthermore, it was implemented to put their users’ minds at rest after the Cambridge Analytica leak.

After the password leak emerged, Instagram was quick to announce that only a small number of users were at risk and the issue had been swiftly resolved. However, there are a number of other ways Instagram poses a threat to your privacy.

For example, Instagram’s default setting will automatically track your location, unless you turn it off manually.

This data is used to show you ads relative to the location where you spend a lot of your time. In addition, Instagram shares your in-app activity – such as likes, comments, your interaction with stories, etc. – with other users.

Then there was the update to their DM service that came in early 2018. It wasn’t just the ‘seen’ notification or the typing bubble that upset users, but the status activity notification.

Instagram was now informing users when others were active, and even the last time they were active. This feature is a default setting, but it can be disabled in the ‘Privacy and Security’ section of the account settings.

If you want to share a little bit less online, you might be considering deleting or deactivating your social media accounts. This article will show you how to permanently delete your Instagram account.

How to deactivate Instagram accounts

Follow steps below to deactivate Instagram accounts temporarily. Do note that this can only be done using a web browser as the Instagram app lacks the relevant support.

• 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 to temporarily deactivate Instagram account

Once you’ve followed all the steps, you have successully deactivated Instagram account. You can reactivate it by simply logging back in with your credentials. 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 delete Instagram accounts

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, like 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.