How to Deactivate Your Instagram Account

Instead of deleting your account altogether to avoid the temptation of hopping back on, you can choose to deactivate your account for a little while until you are ready to join back in.

This post will serve as a step-by-step guide on how you can deactivate your own Instagram account instead of resorting to account deletion.

When deactivating your Instagram account using your mobile device, it is important to make sure you are using a browser such as Google Chrome as deactivating your account through your Instagram app doesn’t work.

To deactivate your Instagram account using your mobile device, follow these steps:

1. Step 1

   

   Log into your Instagram account using a mobile browser using your password. (Again, you cannot use the Instagram app as it will not work).

2. Step 2

   

   Tap your profile picture located on the bottom right of your screen.

3. Step 3

   

   Tap the “edit profile” button under your username.

4. Step 4

   

   Scroll to the bottom of your screen and tap “temporarily disable my account.”

5. Step 5

   

   Choose a reason you are disabling your account, re-enter your Instagram password, then tap “temporarily disable account.”

The above steps will disable your Instagram account until you decide you want to log into your account again in the future. People will not be able to see your photos, posts, account data, or any other metrics of your IG account until you activate it again.

If you frequently use your desktop as well as the Instagram app on your phone, it may be easier to temporarily disable your account on your computer (so that you don’t have to re-enter your password).

To deactivate your Instagram account using your desktop, follow these steps:

1. Step 1

   Log into your Instagram account from your browser.

2. Step 2

   

   Click on your profile picture located on the top right of your screen then click “profile.”

3. step 3

   

   Click “edit profile” next to your username.

4. Step 4

   

   Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “temporarily disable my account.”

5. Step 5

   

   Choose a reason why you’re temporarily disabling your account from the drop-down menu, type in your password, then click “temporarily disable account” at the bottom of your screen.

There is a limit on how many times you can deactivate your Instagram account – once a week. However, there are many reasons deactivating your account may be a good idea and/or necessary in your own life at times. Here is a list of some of the reasons why others have deactivated their own accounts:

• Vacation

  Sometimes we all need a break from all the drama, advertisements, comments, and politics that often come with social media platforms. Left unchecked, these comments can cause way too much anxiety and stress in our lives, especially since we all live in a fast-paced world. Whether you need to take a break from the website because you need extra time focusing on your family or work or if you just want to avoid a situation for a little while, you can relax with a temporarily disabled account.

• Too Distracting

  Social Media addiction can sometimes distract some users from spending enough time with their family and friends. Whether you choose to disable your account for a month on your own accord or your family set up an intervention, you can set the website aside while you get your priorities back on track.

• Never on it

  Some people don’t use Instagram as much as they used to and are debating whether or not they should delete their account. (Note: It’s generally best to deactivate your account for a time as a trial before permanently deleting it just in case you realize you miss having your Instagram account and/or connections and regret it not being there anymore.)

• Alternate platforms

  They’re trying out other social platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, etc. and they want to give them a fair shot without the distraction of Instagram.

Whenever you want to reactivate your Instagram account, all you have to do is simply log back in.

While you lose any of your photos or data when disabling your Instagram account, if you choose to delete your account, everything will be permanently removed. Instagram will delete your photos, your posts, your stories, all your comments, and more. If you choose to use Instagram again in the future, you will need to make a new account.

When you permanently delete your Instagram account, you will lose access to your username. It is unlikely that you will be able to get the same username on the app if you choose to start it up again. You should always test the waters with disabling it before you make the choice to permanently delete your account. That way you can log in to reactivate it without losing anything important.