How to delete an Instagram account

Creating an account for social networks is easy, but deleting your account isn't. If you want to delete your Instagram account permanently or temporarily, we will show you in this article how to do it step by step, what options you have, and what happens when you delete your profile on this social network.

How to permanently delete your Instagram account

If you want to delete your Instagram account permanently, follow these steps. However, be aware that, once deleted, it will be impossible to recover your account.

1. Open the Instagram app on your mobile device.
2. Go to your profile by tapping your photo.
3. Tap the icon with the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of your profile.
4. Enter the Meta Account Center.
5. Go to Personal Data.
6. Now tap on the Account ownership and control option.
7. Tap on Deactivation or Elimination.
8. Choose the Instagram account you want to delete.
9. Check the box Delete the account.
10. Tap the blue button that says Continue.
11. Choose one of the reasons from the list and tap the blue button again.
12. Again, tap the Continue button.
13. Enter your password.
14. Tap the blue button that says Delete account.

And that is it. Instagram will tell you your account is scheduled for deletion and show you the date. You will then be logged out automatically. If you log in again, you can recover your account, but only until the indicated date.

This is the new method to delete your account. The previous one uses a Meta web page that is still active, so you can use whichever system you prefer.

What happens when you delete your Instagram account for good

The consequences of deleting an Instagram account are irreversible once the waiting period has elapsed. Specifically, these are the things that will happen:

• All your content, including videos, featured stories, comments, followers, and likes, will be deleted. Your posts and messages are deleted forever.
• Your username will become available for other users to use.
• It will be impossible to recover your account. Unlike temporary deactivation, deletion is permanent and there is no way to recover your account.
• You will disappear from the social network completely. Your profile will no longer be visible to other users and, if someone searches for your account, they will see a “User not found” message.

However, even if your profile disappears, messages sent to others may still be visible in their inboxes. It is also important to note that if your Instagram account shares login credentials with Facebook or WhatsApp, these accounts will not be affected.

Remember that once you request deletion and the waiting period (usually 30 days) has expired, the account is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. If all you want is a break from Instagram, it is preferable to deactivate the account temporarily rather than delete it.

How to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account

The process to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account is the same as the one described for deleting it, but you must check the Deactivate account box instead of the Delete one. After this, enter your password, select a reason, and confirm the temporary deactivation by tapping the blue button that says Deactivate account.

Again, the system will automatically log you out. In this case, you can return to the social network whenever you want, there is no deadline for recovering your account.

How to reactivate a temporarily deactivated Instagram account

The only thing you need to do to reactivate a temporarily deactivated Instagram account is to log in. You do not need to do anything else, your profile will continue to wait for you as if nothing had happened. In the meantime, your account photo will disappear for all other users.

If your account has been deactivated for a long time, you may have forgotten your password. In that case, you must reset your credentials by following the steps indicated on the screen. In some instances, Instagram may ask you to verify or update your phone number and even re-accept the terms of use of the service if they have changed since you deactivated your account.