Instagram: How to delete or deactivate your account

Maybe it’s the epidemic of doomscrolling, the disturbing disclosures about how harmful Instagram is for adolescent females, or you just want to spend more time with the people you care about in real life rather than oversharing your life online.

If you’re done with Instagram for whatever reason, you have two options. Make a permanent break (delete your Instagram account with no repercussions) or a temporary break (delete your Instagram account with no repercussions) (deactivate your Instagram account with the intention of coming back later like Britney Spears).

Download your data before you deactivate or disable your account. Your data can be requested through a mobile device, a desktop browser, or an app. (Instructions are provided below.)

Open a web browser on your PC or phone if you’re ready to uninstall or deactivate your Instagram app. On the app, you can’t remove or deactivate your Instagram account. Then follow the instructions in this step-by-step guide.

How to delete your Instagram account:

1. Go to the Instagram website and log into your account.

2. Go to the account deletion page.

3. From the drop-down menu, choose the reason you are deleting your account.

4. Enter your password again. Then click or tap the delete button.

The fine print: Instagram warns it will take 30 days to permanently delete your account and data. During that period, your Instagram account will be inaccessible.

How to deactivate your Instagram account

1. Go to the Instagram website, and log into your account.

2. Go to your profile picture in the top right, click or tap your profile, and then “Edit Profile.”

3. Scroll down, then click or tap “Temporarily disable my account” in the bottom right.

4. Choose the reason you are deactivating your account from the drop-down menu next to “Why are you disabling your account?” and enter your password again.

5. Click or tap “Temporarily disable the account.”

The fine print: If you want to reactivate your account, log into the Instagram app.

How to download your Instagram data

From a computer:

1. Log into your account, go to your profile picture then click Settings.

2. Click Privacy and Security.

3. Scroll to the Data Download section and click Request Download.

4. Enter your email address and click Next.

5. Enter your Instagram account password and click Request Download.

6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.

In the Instagram app:

1. Log into your account, and go to your profile.

2. Tap on the menu icon in the top right then tap Settings.

3. Tap on security, then tap “Download Data”

4. Enter your email address and tap “Request download”

5. Enter your Instagram account password, tap Next, then tap Done.

6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.

From a mobile browser:

1. Log into your account, and go to your profile.

2. Tap Settings in the top left then tap Privacy and Security.

3. Scroll down to Data Download and tap Request Download.

4. Enter your email address and tap Next.

5. Enter your Instagram account password and tap Request Download.

6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.