You've been on Instagram for several years and you think you've been around. Tired of admiring the scripted life of your friends or influencers, you have decided to leave this social network. But now breaking with the photo sharing platform is not so easy. In this guide, you will learn how to deactivate or delete your Instagram account..
Instagram, the obsession with perfection
Fine sand beach, overpriced clothes, heart-shaped macchiato coffee, infinity pool, who has never been jealous when looking at the photos of a friend, an influencer or a simple anonymous? It's a fact, Instagram accounts are full of photos, each more impressive than the next.
Obviously, these perfect shots don't always tell the truth. We know that some people do not hesitate to rent apartments by the day or to be loaned clothes in order to attract new subscribers. The bunkering of clichés has become increasingly common practice..
And don't think these things don't have an effect on our brains. Adding excessively filters, this tyranny of appearance conveyed by the social network inevitably ends up creating a feeling of depression and a loss of self-confidence.
Deactivate an Instagram account
Several studies have shown that too much Instagram use is a factor in depression. Taking a short break and quitting Instagram for a moment can be good for your sanity. You should never underestimate the dependence on social networks..
Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, offers two methods for leaving the photo-sharing network. The first solution is to permanently delete your Instagram account without the possibility of reverse.
You can also temporarily deactivate your account. Your data, whether photos, videos, likes, comments, subscribers, remain stored in the American giant's cloud but inaccessible from the platform.
If you think you want to reactivate your profile one day, here is the procedure to follow to temporarily suspend your Instagram account. Note that this operation can only be done from a web browser (computer, tablet or smartphone). Deactivating an account from the Instagram application is (for the moment) impossible.
- Open your favorite internet browser
- Click on the URL bar and enter the following address: https://www.instagram.com/
- Enter your account credentials
- Click on your profile photo at the top right of the screen
- Select the settings option
- Click on the Temporarily deactivate my account link
- You will be asked to select from the drop-down menu your reason for making this decision.
- Enter your password again to validate this choice
Once your account is deactivated, all your photos and videos will no longer be accessible on the internet. Note that the operation may take several hours to take effect. For people who want to remove the Instagram application from their phone, you will find in this link the instructions on how to remove an application on an Android smartphone.
How to reactivate your Instagram account?
The truth of one day is not always that of the next day. You may very well change your mind and want to come back to Instagram. The question then arises of how to restore an Instagram account. We will explain everything to you.
- Open the Instagram app on your phone.
- On the login screen, enter the username and password of the account you want to reactivate
- Click on the Login button
Your account is now fully reactivated. Photos and videos are again visible on the platform. Important detail, the restoration can be done from a web browser (computer or mobile). To do this, simply open and connect to the Instagram website.
Permanently delete your Instagram account
Your Instagram experience did not leave you with great memories. You want to permanently break with your Instagram account. Before you start, I invite you to make a complete backup of all your data. It won't take you more than 5 minutes.
- Log into your Instagram account from a desktop or mobile web browser
- Once logged in, go to the Settings section
- Click on the Security section
- Select the Download data option
- Enter your email address
Within 48 hours, you will then receive an email containing a link to download all of your data. This step will allow you to recover the photos and videos posted on the Internet since the creation of your account.
Keep in mind that deleting your account is irreversible. All your photos, your subscribers, your likes but also your account history will be deleted. Likewise, you will no longer be able to use the same username.
The account deletion procedure can only be done from the Instagram website via a web browser. Here are the steps to follow.
- Open the page dedicated exclusively to account deletion on Instagram
- Enter your username and password
- Choose from the drop-down list the reason for your departure (too many ads, taking too long, problem with use, etc.)
- Enter your password again
- Click one last time on the button to permanently delete my account
Important reminder, this operation is irreversible. However, Instagram gives you 30 days to change your mind. During this period, you can restore your account at any time by entering your credentials. After this period, your data including your nickname will be permanently deleted from the photo-sharing network.