How to delete your Instagram account

Social media has many benefits such as connecting with others. In the case of having an Instagram account, it’s showing off your personality and photography skills. But what if you want to delete your Instagram account?

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It boasts around a billion monthly active users with the majority in the United States and India. Here in South Africa, there are around 5.43 million IG users. It’s very popular, but it’s not as easy to get rid of as you would think once you have it.

Here’s what you need to know if you want to delete your Instagram account…

Deleting Instagram: The app vs your account

Getting rid of your IG account is not the same as uninstalling the app from your mobile device.

The app is the gateway through which you access it.

To uninstall the app, simply hold down on the app icon and select the uninstall button when it pops up. You can also uninstall it using the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store.

However, this does not remove your account from Instagram. People can still view your profile, and Instagram will still have your account data.

Disabling your Instagram account

If you do not want to immediately delete your account, Instagram offers you the choice of temporarily disabling your account.

To do this, log into your account on an internet browser, click the Edit Profile button next to your account username.

Then, scroll down and select the Temporarily Disable my Account button.

The site will then ask you to type in your account password to verify that it’s you.

After you’ve accepted, your photos, comments, and likes will be hidden until you decide to reactivate the account by logging in again.

How to delete your Instagram account

You can’t actually delete your account through the Instagram app or website.

To permanently delete your IG account, you have to go to the Instagram account removal request page and request that Instagram delete your account.

The page will first ask you why you want to delete your account and to type in your password again. You can then select the ‘Permanently delete my account’ button.

An important thing to remember is that the account will not be deleted instantly.

The platform will give a month-long period for you to choose if you want to log back in and keep the account.

When the deadline date has passed, the account will be officially deleted.

Feature image: Unsplash/Erik Lucatero

Read more: Here’s how to upload photos to Instagram from your PC