Many Instagram users seek a break for reasons like privacy concerns, digital detox, or focusing on personal goals. Instagram offers two options: deactivate your account temporarily, keeping your data safe for when you return, or delete it permanently, erasing all content and interactions. This guide will walk you through both processes, helping you decide which option suits your needs best and ensuring a smooth experience for stepping away from Instagram.
Since the rise of social media, users have become glued to their smartphones because it’s accessible, easy, entertaining, and fast. However, some people want to give Instagram a break for many reasons, it could be detoxing, privacy issues, or to focus on life itself. That’s the reason why Instagram offers two ways to its users, you can easily deactivate or delete an Instagram account. Today’s article will explain how you can do that, and which one is more suitable for you!
Difference Between Deactivating and Deleting an Instagram Account?
Yes, you decided to give a break to Instagram, but you need to know the difference between these two things, or you may regret your decision.
- Deactivate: If you are looking for a short break or you want to come back to your profile, you can deactivate your Instagram account because deactivation is a temporary action. Instagram masks your account and keeps everything in its place so that when you come back you don’t have to create a brand-new account.
- Deletion: If you want to start over or you are done with Instagram, you can delete your account. Along with all your data, photos, videos, and old direct messages you’ll be erased from the platform. Before deleting your Instagram account, you should know that this is a permanent action, you cannot recover your account.
How to Deactivate an Instagram Account?
Deactivating an Instagram account is quite a simple and straightforward process to be honest. You can easily deactivate your Instagram account with this road map.
On Desktop
- Open your account on the website.
- On your profile page, select “Settings.”
- Click Edit Profile and scroll to the bottom to find “Temporarily disable my account.”
- Choose your reason for deactivating, write your password, and confirm.
After these steps you can easily deactivate your Instagram account on desktop.
On Smartphones
If you want to use your smartphone to deactivate your account, steps are a bit different from desktop version but still it is quite simple.
- Open Instagram and go to your profile.
- Click on the menu in the right corner and choose “Settings and Privacy.”
- Navigate to “Account Center > Personal Details > Account Ownership and Control.”
- Choose “Deactivate Account,” enter your password, and confirm.
Whether you are using Android or iOS, you know how to deactivate an Instagram account right now with these simple steps.
How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account?
If you are looking for a way out of Instagram, deleting your account can be a good decision for you, but you should know that you cannot undo it because once you delete your account, Instagram erases all the data including photo and archive. But, if you are sure about this decision, you can follow this map and easily delete your account.
On Desktop
- Go to Instagram.
- Visit the Delete Your Account Page.
- Choose a reason before deleting it, enter your password again, and confirm deletion.
On Smartphones
- Profile: Open your profile page here.
- Account Center: Click on the lines at the right corner of your screen (hamburger icon), find “”Settings and Privacy” > “Account Center.”
- Deletion: On this page select “Account Ownership and Control” and tap “Deactivation or Deletion.” Choose “Delete Account” and select the account you want to delete.
- Confirmation: Enter your password and click on “Delete.”
Now with these steps, you know the answer of one of the most asked questions on Instagram, how to deactivate or delete an Instagram account.
Backing Up Your Instagram Data Before Deletion
After these steps you can delete your Instagram account without experiencing any problems. However, we suggest that you should think through before deactivate or delete an Instagram account because you may not want to lose all these things. You may want to back them up and if you don’t know how, these steps can be helpful for you.
- Settings: After you login to your account, go to your profile and find “Settings.”
- Privacy and Security: On this page, you can find “Privacy and Security” on the left of your screen.
- Download Your Data: At the bottom of the list, you can find “Data Download” and “Request Download” click on it and enter your email address. After a short while Instagram will email your data to you.
The same steps apply for desktops and smartphones, but we recommend that you should use the desktop version.
FAQs
Can I still receive notifications or messages if I deactivate my Instagram account?
No, when you deactivate your page, you’ll put everything on hold, besides Instagram will mask you from other users and you won’t receive any notifications.
How long can I keep my Instagram account deactivated before it gets deleted?
Instagram doesn’t delete accounts if users deactivate them. You can keep it in that way, activate it anytime you want, and you can see all your data and account.
What happens to my direct messages if I delete my Instagram account permanently?
If you decide to delete your Instagram account, your data will be gone with your account, and it includes your direct messages too. However, if you back up your data before you delete your account, you may keep messages.
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