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You can’t deny Instagram can be a ball-and-chain. Maybe you’re sick of feeling like you have to capture every single moment of your existence, or perhaps you’re tired of seeing the perfectly posed pictures of everyone else’s life. If you’re anything like us, maybe you’re just tired of the strain that comes from juggling multiple accounts or waiting for those minute-long videos to load on the bus.
Thankfully, deleting your Instagram account only requires a few clicks and confirmations on the Instagram website. Deleting it isn’t for the faint of heart, however, since doing so will permanently delete your account and everything associated with it (i.e., your photos, videos, comments, likes, follows, and followers). Instagram also claims it cannot — or simply will not — reactivate your account should you wind up changing your mind three days later when the hashtag withdrawals kick in. Likewise, you (nor anyone else) will never be able to sign up with the same username ever again. Bum deal.
If you’re unsure about the possibility of wanting to regain access to your Instagram account at a later time, Instagram offers a temporary deactivation feature. This allows you to deactivate your account for a brief period of time, and still access it later. It that doesn’t sound appealing, we’ve outlined how to deactivate your account below.
Step 1: Navigate to the “Delete Your Account” page
You cannot delete your Instagram account directly from the mobile app, meaning you must visit the Instagram website. There is also no easy way to access the Delete Your Account page from your profile, which is a bit frustrating. The easiest way to get there is just to go straight to the page.
If you aren’t already logged in on your browser, take this time to enter your username and password before clicking the Log In button below these text fields. Alternatively, click the blue Forgot button and follow the instructions to reset your password. You will need to know your username or email associated with your account to delete it.
Step 2: Choose a reason for leaving
From here, select a reason for deleting your account. Some of the reasons include being too busy for the app, you can’t find people to follow, too many ads, and a few others. Select whichever option best suits your situation (it doesn’t matter which one you chose) from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? You will be required to enter your password one more time.
Step 3: Delete your account
You’re almost there, but keep in mind, there’s no way to get back or even use the same username after you’ve deleted your account. Once you’re sure you want to delete, tap Permanently delete my account. And that’s it! If you would like to delete another account, you’ll need to log in again and repeat the process.
For security reasons, Instagram can’t delete an account for you (or your children’s accounts for that matter). You’ll need to be able to log into the account you want to delete in order to do the deed. Once you’ve gotten through the confirmations, there’s nothing else you need to do. Your Instagram account will be removed from the social network forever.
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