How to Deactivate Instagram Account

Do you feel like you aren’t focused enough on everyday activities because you scroll through Instagram obsessively? Would you feel better getting rid of Instagram altogether?

If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll show you how to deactivate your Instagram account – whether on a temporary or permanent basis. Keep reading to find out more.

Deactivating the Account

If you want temporary respite from Instagram, you can simply deactivate your account. This means that all your photos, comments, and likes will be hidden. Once you’re ready to get back to Instagram, you can reactivate the account and everything will be restored and visible.

To temporarily deactivate the account, follow the steps below:

1. Log into Instagram via computer or a browser on your phone.
   

   

2. Click on the profile photo icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
   

   

3. Look for Edit Profile and click it.
   

   

4. Scroll down and tap Temporarily disable my account at the bottom of the screen.
   

   

5. A page with a drop-down menu will open for you to choose the reason for the deactivation.
   

   

6. Pick an option and re-enter your password.
   

   

7. Finally, click the Temporarily Disable Account button to complete the process.
   

   

   
   

Note that you can’t deactivate your Instagram account through the mobile app and that you can only deactivate the account once a week.

When you’re ready to reactivate the account, just log back in and that’s it. Make sure you remember your password because it’ll be the same as the one you’ve used before.

Before You Delete the Account

Over the years, you’ve probably posted a lot of memorable photos and videos on Instagram which you don’t necessarily still have in your phone. Before deleting your Instagram account, therefore, it would probably be wise to download everything from your profile. Here’s how:

1. Log into Instagram via your computer or a browser on your phone.
   

   

2. Click on the profile photo icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
   

   

3. Look for Edit Profile and click it.
   

   

4. Under Privacy and Security, you’ll see Data Download
   

   

5. Tap on Request Download and a new page will show up.
   

   

6. You’ll have to write the email address where you’ll get a link to a file with photos, comments, etc.
   

   

Deleting the Account

If you feel like you’re done with Instagram altogether, you can delete the account completely.

After you’ve taken the steps to save important data, you can proceed to the next step. Bear in mind that after you delete the account, you won’t be able to recover it. All your photos, videos, comments and likes will be lost. This is how to delete your Instagram account:

1. Log into Instagram via your computer or a browser on your phone.
   

   

2. Click this link which will take you to the Delete Your Account page.
   

   

3. You’ll see the drop-down menu asking you to choose the reason for deleting the account.
   

   

4. Re-enter the password to continue with the process.
   

   

5. Once you’re done with that, select “Permanently delete my account”.
   

   

Protecting Your Privacy

If you want to deactivate or delete the account because you’re worried about your privacy, you’ll be glad to know that you can stay safe and still use Instagram.

Many people feel worried about the number of unknown people following them and seeing their posts. Although by default anyone can see your profile, you can make your account private and feel safer.

Here’s what to do:

1. Go to your profile and tap on the gear to open Settings.
   

   

2. Now go to Privacy and then Account Privacy.
   

   

3. Enable the Private account option.
   

   

This means that your account’s now private and new followers will have to send a request to follow you, which you can choose to approve or not. They won’t be able to see your posts. However, your old followers will still be able to do so.

If for some reason you want to remove a current follower, there’s also an option for that. Simply go to your profile and tap on the number of followers. Scroll down until you find the person you want to remove and tap on the Remove button next to their profile.

These followers won’t be notified that you’ve unfollowed them, but they’ll still be able to see your posts unless you make your account private.

Blocking People

If people are being rude to you or leaving hurtful comments, you may want to block them so they can’t see your profile, photos or leave comments. Luckily, they won’t know about it so you can do it without any drama.

To block a person on Instagram, follow these steps:

1. Go to the user’s Instagram profile.
   

   

2. Find on the three dots in the upper right corner of their profile and tap on that.
   

   

3. When the pop-up window appears, select Block.
   

   

4. A message will then appear asking you to confirm the choice.
   

   

5. Once you do so, click Dismiss.
   

   

Finding What Works for You

Whether you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with Instagram and want to take a break, or if there’s a person bothering you and you want to remove them from your followers list, we’ve outlined some possible solutions for your problems.

We’re sure you’ll find something here that works for you. Have you ever deactivated your Instagram account? What was the reason? Tell us about it in the comments section below.