March 28, 2024

How To Permanently Delete your Instagram Account – 2018

Maybe you’re tired of social media. Maybe you need to nip an Instagram snapping addiction in the bud. Maybe you’re worried that your account has been hacked and you want to shut things down.

Whatever your reason, you’re looking to delete that Instagram account.

Unlike Facebook, which has historically been a nightmare to try and part with, deleting your Instagram account (and everything on it) is easier than you think.

Delete Your Instagram Account

What exactly does this mean? Well…exactly what it sounds like.

Instagram will delete your account and everything on it. That means all of your photos, likes, and comments will be permanently removed – emphasis on the word permanently.

If you change your mind after fully deleting your account, then tough. You can’t resurrect an old account, and you can’t bring back deleted data. You can create a new account with the same username, but you’ll be starting from scratch.

So, how do you delete your account?

  1. Go to the special Delete Your Account page on your mobile device or desktop.
  2. Login if you’re prompted to do so.
  3. Select a reason for deletion from the drop down menu. You must do this to proceed.
  4. Re-enter your account password.
  5. Click or tap Permanently delete my account.

But what about your precious data? Is there a way to save your Instagram photos before saying goodbye to the app?

Instagram doesn’t have a method for doing this within the app itself, but you can seek third party help using apps like Instaport to download your data before deleting it.

Disable Your Instagram Account

If you’re looking for a break, don’t be rash. Maybe all you need is a little time off to reflect before you dive back in. Consider disabling your account instead of deleting it.

Disabling will hide everything from view. As far as your followers are concerned, you may as well have deleted the account. But as far as you’re concerned, you can return any time by simply logging back in, and it will be like you never left.

So, how do you disable your account?

  1. Go to Instagram. com from your phone or computer. You can’t do this from the app.
  2. Login if you’re prompted to do so.
  3. Click or tap on the profile icon in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Click or tap Edit Profile.
  5. Scroll down and tap Temporarily disable my account to the right of Submit.
  6. You’ll be asked why you’re doing this. Select an option from the drop down menu.
  7. Re-enter your account password.
  8. Click or tap Temporarily Disable Account.

Trouble Logging In

If you’re here because you’ve been hacked and you want to protect your personal information, then you might find the above steps easier said than done. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete or disable an account without first logging in. Nor can you appeal to Instagram to do it for you.

If you can’t remember your password, follow these steps to retrieve it.

  1. Open the app.
  2. Tap Get help signing in under the login fields.
  3. If you have Android, choose on the following: Use username or email, Send an SMS, or Log in with Facebook.
  4. If you have iOS, choose one of the following: Username or Phone.
  5. Follow the prompts after your selection.

If you think you’ve been hacked, you might not be able to use one or all of these methods, depending on how thorough the hacker has been about changing your recovery information.

  1. Open the app.
  2. Tap Get help signing in under the login fields.
  3. Select the option that allows you to enter your username.
  4. Tap Need more help?

From here, you can follow the prompts to contact Instagram. They will likely ask you about information regarding the account, like past passwords, recovery information, and more. If you’re convincing, this could work. But there are no guarantees.

Now if only it were this easy to find and delete that old MySpace account that’s been floating around since High School.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *