With Instagram’s provision to have up to 6 accounts attached to a single phone number or email address, it is possible to have too many Instagram accounts and you may want to get rid of one or more.
It could also be the desire to cut back on social media, security reasons, or you could be closing an outdated group account, or even leaving Instagram altogether.
This full guide will give you step-by-step instructions for deleting your Instagram account.
Whatever your reason; you can delete your Instagram account either by deactivating your account, using a delete account link, or through the Accounts Centre.
how to delete an Instagram account
There are four ways to delete an Instagram account;
- Through Accounts Center
- By deactivating account
- Using a delete account link
- Getting yourself suspended or disabled by Instagram
1. Through Accounts Center
Open Instagram using the browser on your phone or computer.
Or open your Instagram app and go to your profile page by clicking your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
Hint: If you have multiple accounts on one device, click on the drop-down arrow next to your username on the profile page and select the account you want to delete. It will take you straight to the profile page.
Tap on the three lines menu in the top right corner of the app and choose Settings and Privacy or the bottom left corner of the web and select Settings.
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Go to the Accounts Centre section and select Personal details.
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Also Read: How to Get Threads on Instagram
Tip: If you’re using the browser and are signed into several accounts, it is at this stage that you can choose which one you want to delete before continuing to personal details.
In personal details, choose Account Ownership and Control and then Deactivation or Deletion.
After reading the guidelines, click Continue.
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Select Delete account and continue.
You will be asked to select a reason for deciding to delete your account, click on any, and continue.
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Tip: Depending on what reason you choose, you will be prompted to act accordingly.
Follow the guidelines and then continue.
You will be asked to enter your password just to confirm that it is you and not a scammer.
Input your password and continue to Delete account.
Also Read: Best Hashtags For Instagram Reels
2. By deactivating account
There are instances where you will not have the option of deleting or deactivating your account on your mobile app.
In that case, even the web version will most likely only provide an option to temporarily deactivate your account but not permanently delete it.
Go to the Instagram website and log into your account.
Tap on the three lines in the left bottom corner and choose Settings.
Scroll down to the bottom and you will see the option of Temporarily deactivate my account then proceed.
Select a reason for this decision, re-enter your password, click Temporarily deactivate account, and then Yes to continue.
Now that your account is deactivated, all you have to do is ignore it and wait for the deletion process to complete.
Even though Instagram does not clearly state that it deletes inactive accounts, when asked on its help page, it encourages logging in and using your account.
Experiences from some people also indicate that Instagram can delete an inactive account after 28 days, 90 days, one year, 2 years, or even not at all.
3. Using the Instagram delete account link
If none of the above options works for you, you can use this Delete Instagram account link; it will redirect you to a page asking you to log into your account.
Input your login credentials (username and password) and continue to a page asking for a reason for deleting your account.
Choose any reason, follow the guidelines accordingly, confirm your password, and then click the Delete button.
Note:
You will not be able to proceed without selecting a reason for deleting your account.
You will be prompted to confirm that you are sure, Click OK to finish deleting your account.
It will give you a date when your account will be permanently deleted, till then, you have an option of logging into your account and keeping it.
4. Getting yourself suspended or disabled by Instagram
If you are desperate to get rid of that Instagram account by whatever means necessary then you can resort to this extreme method.
There are several reasons why Instagram may permanently disable, suspend, and eventually delete an account.
For example, if it repeatedly violates the Instagram Community Guidelines and policy by;
- Repeatedly logging in with false credentials.
- If you are not able to prove that you are human and not a bot.
- Not responding within the given time and appropriately after the account has been temporarily banned or disabled
Note: If you use this method to delete your account, you will not be able to retrieve it or even use that same email or phone number to create a new Instagram account.
Bonus hint about deleting your Instagram account
It usually takes up to 30 days to permanently delete an Instagram account but you will not appear in searches or receive any notifications during that period.
However, in case you change your mind within those 30 days, you can log in with the same username and password and choose to keep your account.
All your information including; profile picture, following and followers, and messages; including any that may have been sent while you were away will be restored.
After the account is permanently deleted, which can take up to 90 days, you can create a new account or add an account with that same username, as long as it is available.
Also Read: How To Make Instagram Videos With Music
FAQs
Q. Why can’t I delete my Instagram account?
There are many reasons why you may not be able to delete your Instagram even after trying so many methods. Crosscheck with any of these;
1. Sometimes if you are using other apps linked to your Instagram account like Facebook, you may not be able to delete your account.
Try logging out of those accounts and try again.
2. Other times, it may be your Instagram application acting up. In that case, log out of the app and close it. Then reopen it and try again.
3. For some people, they simply can’t delete the account using the phone application, for that, log into a web browser and see if you will be able to delete the account.
4. Another most likely answer is that it is just an Instagram glitch.
Give it a few days then try again, and if that is the case it will accept to delete the account this time.
Q. What does deactivated Instagram look like?
When someone deactivates their account, their profile picture becomes blank and their profile name changes to ‘Instagram user’.
Their username will also not show up in search results and the people following them will also not be able to view their profile when they try to open it.
Also, you will not be able to see any posts, stories, or reels of a person who has deactivated their account.
Followers can’t unfollow a deactivated Instagram account since they have no access to the profile.
Q. How many times I can deactivate my Instagram account?
You can deactivate your Instagram account as many times as you want but only once per week.Â
If you deactivate and then reactivate your Instagram account, you will have to wait 7 days before you can deactivate it again.
Q. How do you tell if someone deleted their Instagram or blocked you?
When someone deletes their Instagram account, their profile or username does not appear in search results.
However when someone blocks you, you can open their Instagram profile, and see their profile picture and the number of posts they have made, but the posts don’t show in the display area.
When someone blocks you, your previous private messages with them disappear from your chats.
However, when someone deletes their account, you can still see and access your previous chats with them.
When someone blocks you, you are unable to follow them however much you click the follow button, whereas a deleted account doesn’t appear at all.
Q. Why does Instagram say no user found?
If you are trying to search for a person on Instagram and get the response of no user found, these may be the reasons;
1. The person permanently deleted their account
2. The account has been temporarily deactivated
3. The account has been suspended or banned
4. The account has been permanently disabled by Instagram according to its policy
5. The person blocked you
6. It’s also possible that you are just typing in the wrong username or name.
Conclusion
Even though sometimes it may take a long process, or seem like an impossible task, you can still delete that Instagram account you do not wish to keep.
Try any of the methods described above and see which method works for you.
If you have one you tried and it worked but is not mentioned here, please feel free to leave it in the comment section.
