How to delete your Instagram account (phone or computer)
Whether you’re tired of Instagram's negative algorithm, the ads, or need a break from social media, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we show you how to delete an Instagram account on any device - iPhone, Android, PC.
Quick steps to delete an Instagram account
- Open the Instagram app
- On your profile, click on the hamburger menu
- Under Settings and activity, click Accounts center
- Click Personal details
- Click Account ownership and control
- Click Deactivation or deletion
- Select the Meta account you want to delete
- Select Delete account & click Continue
- Select a reason & click Continue
- Click Continue again
- Enter password & click Continue
Why are people deleting Instagram?
- Privacy: Instagram is owned by Meta, a company that makes the majority of its profits from the ad-based business model. Because Meta’s core profits come from harvesting, processing, and selling user data, people are actively choosing to leave Instagram and other Meta-owned platforms like WhatsApp over concerns for their privacy. Today, there are also new Instagram alternatives that come with better privacy, no ads, and offer a more simplified experience.
Thinking of deleting X? Take a look at the best Twitter alternatives
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Unwanted features: Instagram is no longer a simple social media app for sharing images and creating stories. Unfortunately, Meta has made it another platform to maximize its profits with too many ads, an algorithm-based feed, and unwanted Meta AI features (that you can’t even disable on WhatsApp).
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Mental health: Another reason people are choosing to ditch the platform is because of its negative and addictive nature. Because of this, Instagram even had to create Instagram Teens accounts to improve the platform for its younger users, make it less addictive, and make sure that youngsters are better protected from negative influences like the current obsession with weight loss or excessive self-optimization which can be very harmful to young people. With the introduction of advertisements and the algorithm-based feed, users see far more unwanted content which is usually very negative. Instagram is also a platform which can be fake and superficial (filters!), and this also contributes to having a negative effect on users’ mental health.
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Productivity: Just like TikTok and other social media platforms, Instagram is designed to keep the user scrolling. Because it’s so easy to waste time on the platform, many are now choosing to practice digital minimalism and reduce the time they waste doom-scrolling on the platform.
What to consider before permanently deleting your Instagram account
First things first, before you go ahead and permanently delete your Insta account, we’d recommend making a backup of all your data. This will allow you to download copies of:
- All your images & videos
- Stories saved to highlights
- Direct messages
- Profile settings & information
- Captions & comments
- Activity data
How to download all your Instagram pictures and videos
- Open the Instagram app
- On your profile, click on the hamburger menu
- Under Settings and activity, click Accounts center
- Click Your information and permissions
- Click Export your information
- Click Create export
- Select the Instagram account
- Choose where to export it to (your device or external device)
- Go through the list of settings: here you can choose the types of data, a date range, the format (we’d recommend HTML), and quality.
- Click Start export
- Enter password
- Click Continue
Once you’ve successfully downloaded all your Instagram pictures and other data, you can take the next steps to delete your Instagram account on your phone or computer.
How to permanently delete your Instagram account
How to delete an Instagram account on your phone (iPhone or Android)
- Open the Instagram app
- On your profile, click on the hamburger menu
- Under Settings and activity, click Accounts center
- Click Personal details
- Click Account ownership and control
- Click Deactivation or deletion
- Select the Meta account you want to delete
- Select Delete account & click Continue
- Select a reason & click Continue
- Click Continue again
- Enter password & click Continue
How to delete an Instagram account on a computer
- Open the web browser
- Go to Instagram & log in
- Click on the settings icon & select Settings and activity
- Click Accounts center and then Personal details
- Click Account ownership and control
- Click Deactivation or deletion
- Select the Meta account you wish to permanently delete
- Select Delete account & click Continue
- Select a reason & click Continue
- Click Continue again
- Enter password & click Continue
How to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account
If getting rid of your Instagram account for good is a step too far, and you’re in need of a break from the platform or are practicing digital minimalism you could temporarily deactivate it instead. When you deactivate your Insta account, your profile is hidden from the public, and you can reactivate your account by logging in again.
How to deactivate your Instagram account on your phone
- Open the Instagram app
- On your profile, click on the hamburger menu
- Under Settings and activity, click Accounts center
- Click Personal details
- Click Account ownership and control
- Click Deactivation or deletion
- Select the Meta account you want to deactivate
- Select Deactivate account & click Continue
- Enter password & click Continue
Small-tech alternatives are better
There are many reasons to delete Instagram, and ditching the Big Tech-owned platform will do more good than bad. Because people are choosing to stop using Big Tech products and are actively choosing to deGoogle, delete Microsoft, and Meta products, there is a rise in alternative small-tech providers. From alternatives to Gmail, like Tuta Mail, to Skype alternatives, and even new social media platforms, today we have more choice and no longer need to use or support platforms that profit off our data.
