Are you in need of a break and wondering how to temporarily disable your Instagram account?
You’re the right place because this post is going to show you exactly how to disable Instagram account temporarily.
The easiest way to temporarily disable your Instagram account you can make use of Instagram’s Temporarily Deactivate Account feature.
Do this by logging into your account on a web browser or mobile browser then go to your Profile page, tap Edit profile, scroll down and click on the Temporarily deactivate my account option.
With these steps (which I’m going to show you in detail in the following sections), your Instagram account will be temporarily disabled until you decide to enable or reactivate it.
Before we get into the details of how to pause Instagram account, let’s first understand what exactly happens when you take this action.
What happens when you temporarily disable your Instagram account?
If you choose to disable or temporarily deactivate Instagram, this is what will happen:
- Your profile; username, bio, and profile picture, will no longer be visible to other Instagram users.
When someone searches for your username or tries to access your profile, they’ll get the ‘account is not available’ error.
- Your posts, comments, and likes will be temporarily hidden from public view.
Other Instagram users won’t be able to see your content on your profile or in their feeds.
- You will not be able to send or receive direct messages on Instagram.
- Your followers won’t be notified that you’ve disabled your account, but they won’t be able to view your profile or content.
Additionally, you won’t be able to view other users’ profiles or interact with their content.
- Your account settings remain unchanged. You can still manage your account’s privacy and other settings.
With that, let’s get right into disabling Instagram.
Tip: According to Instagram, you can only be allowed to deactivate/temporarily disable your account once per week.
How to temporarily disable your Instagram account using a web browser
Below are the steps for “how to temporarily deactivate Instagram” via a web browser:
Open instagram.com in your web browser on your phone or computer.
Note: You can’t directly temporarily disable your Instagram account on your Instagram mobile app, only via a web browser.
Tap on your profile picture in the left menu to open your Profile, then click Edit Profile.
Scroll down and click Temporarily deactivate my account in the bottom right.
Instagram will want to know your reason for wanting to disable your account so on the Why are you deactivating your account?
Select a reason from the drop-down menu and then re-enter your password.
Tip: The option to deactivate account will only be clickable after you select a reason from the menu and re-enter your Instagram password.
Instagram will also provide you an option to auto-reactivate your account after some days ranging from 1 to 7 days.
You can choose one of those options if you want, or you can choose not to auto-reactivate your account.
Click the Temporarily Deactivate Account button, then click Yes to confirm.
After you’ve completed these steps, your Instagram account will be deactivated temporarily.
You can choose to reactivate it by logging back in at any time, or you can just wait it out if you choose to let Instagram auto-reactivate it for you.
How to temporarily disable your account using Facebook Accounts Center
The second way to temporarily disable Instagram is via the Meta Accounts Center.
Note: This method also works on your mobile Instagram app.
Just go to your Profile > Settings and Privacy > Accounts Centre > Your information and permission > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or Deletion, then follow the procedure.
To do this on the web:
Follow this direct link to open the Facebook Accounts Center then go to the Personal Details section and click on Account Ownership and Control.
Under Account Ownership and Control click Deactivation or Deletion then select the Instagram account you’d like to temporarily deactivate.
Click Deactivate account, then click Continue.
Follow the steps to add a reason for disabling your account and re-enter your password to finish the process.
Note: If like me you have already disabled your Instagram account using method 1, you may not be able to deactivate your account from the Accounts Center at this time because as I mentioned earlier, you can only deactivate or disable your Instagram account once a week.
FAQs
How long can you temporarily disable your Instagram?
Currently, there is no default set time limit for when you disable or deactivate your Instagram account.
But note that Instagram offers you the option to re-activate your account for you after a set period, from 1 to 7 days.
Why is my deactivated Instagram account still showing?
If you deactivated your Instagram account but it is still showing, it could be because:
i) Maybe the deactivation process has been delayed for some reason, give it a bit of time and check again.
ii) Maybe the deactivation process was not complete. Make sure you did it correctly, or try going through the process again.
iii) Maybe you logged in again. Remember that after disabling or deactivating your Instagram account, the moment you log in again, it will be reactivated.
Can I reactivate my account after disabling it?
Yes, you can reactivate your account after disabling it. Simply log back into your account using your credentials.
Your profile, photos, and other data will be restored.
What happens to my content when I disable my account?
After temporarily disabling your Instagram account, your content, that is your profile, videos, photos, comments, and likes will be hidden from other Instagram users.
However, your Instagram data will not be deleted, it will be restored when you reactivate your account.
But if you are worried, you can always do a backup or download data before disabling Instagram.
Can I disable my account multiple times?
Not really. Instagram permits you to temporarily disable your account only once per week.
So if you disable and re-enable but then decide you want to disable it again, you will have to wait a week to do so.
Will my followers be notified if I disable my account?
No, no notification will be sent to your Instagram followers when you disable your account.
Your profile will simply not appear on the platform, as if it doesn’t exist.
What’s the difference between disabling and deleting my account?
Disabling or deactivating your account is temporary and allows you to take a break while keeping your data, and when you reactivate your data is restored.
Deleting your account on the other hand is permanent and irreversible, it removes all your content.
Can I still browse Instagram after disabling my account?
No, you won’t be able to continue browsing Instagram or interact with content while your account is disabled.
You’ll need to reactivate your account to regain access.
Wrapping up
In this busy world of social media with all the activity, sometimes one needs to take a breather, and temporarily disabling your Instagram may be the way to go.
If you are overwhelmed with social media and need a digital detox, temporarily disabling your Instagram account enables you to take a break from the platform without permanently deleting your content, and you can get it back whenever you want to.
