In a world already filled with so many social networking apps, Instagram is one of the most popular social networks out there. The app is one of the few outstanding apps to hit the one billion download mark on Google Play and is generally well liked by most users, with a 4.5-star rating. But let’s say you are not satisfied with the application. Maybe you want to get away from Facebook dominating your life, or you’re tired of the company seemingly trying to steal features from Snapchat at every turn. Perhaps the recent changes to the Terms of Service have frightened you. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided: you pack your bags and continue on your way. But how?
Well, do I have good news for you? It’s actually pretty easy to delete your Instagram account right from the comfort of your own phone. All you have to do is have your login details ready to use and you’ll be out of their hands in no time.
For this demo, I actually set up a new Instagram account on my phone. Note that if you decide to permanently delete your account, you will not be able to create a new account again with this username or email. Once gone, gone forever. Also, be sure to download all photos from the service you want to keep; Eventually they will go too. Now, this might sound a bit extreme for some of your readers. If you just want to take a break from the service and don’t want to delete everything forever, don’t worry: there is an option for you too.
Start by clicking the Profile tab; it is on the far right in the navigation tab at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t offer an option to delete your account from within the app, so we’ll have to use your phone’s web browser for this to happen. Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see the “Instagram Help Center” option. Clicking this will launch you into your preferred web browser – I’m using Samsung’s browser but I suspect most of you are using Chrome. There’s a lot of information on this page, but don’t stress. Scroll to the bottom of the page until you find “Manage Your Account” under “Browse Topics”. You’re almost done, so keep going.
Once this page loads, go ahead and click “Delete Your Account”. It should be the second option from the top. From here, you have the option to temporarily disable your account or delete the account permanently. If you are sure you are done with the platform, move on to the second option. But if you want to disable the account temporarily, click on the first tab and it will ask for your password. This will keep your account disabled for now. To an unsuspecting Instagram follower, your account will appear to be lost forever, but logging back into your account via the app or website will make your photos come alive. Consider this option before you move on to the next step and keep in mind that deleting your account means your username and email won’t be able to create a new Instagram account in case you Insta-regret.
Well, you’ve made the decision to move on. In this case, let’s do this. Click the second option, “How do I delete my account?” It will load an information page, but more importantly, a link to the Delete Your Account page will appear in the instructions. Click this to be moved to a login page.
If you don’t remember your password, Forgot? link in the password field. Otherwise, type your information and click Sign In.
Go ahead and use the dropdown to let Instagram and Facebook know why you’re leaving. Consider this a final parting gift from you to them. Once you’ve made your choice – or entered your own – re-enter your password one last time and click Next. One more popup – your last chance to go back and rethink deletion. If you are absolutely sure, click that OK button and that way your account is gone. If you go back to the Instagram app, you may get a network error before being sent back to the Home screen.
Note that if you have perhaps decided to create a new account, you will need a new email and username to do so. If you’re leaving the service forever, the app won’t do much for you anymore. Remove it from your phone to make room for the next social media frenzy that will hit in a few months. And if you just deactivated your account, remember: you can always go back home.
