How to Delete or Deactivate Your Instagram Account (2026)
To delete your Instagram account, open Settings, tap Accounts Center, find Deactivation or deletion, pick your profile, tap Delete account, and confirm. To deactivate it instead, follow the same path and tap Deactivate account. Deleting is permanent once the waiting period ends. Deactivating just hides your profile until you log back in.
If you are not sure which one you want, start with the comparison below. Then follow the steps for your phone or computer. Instagram’s menus have changed more than once, so this guide covers both versions you may see today.
Delete or deactivate Instagram: which one do you want?
Instagram’s own Help Center page on deleting or deactivating your profile treats the two as one topic, and so does this guide. The difference is simple. Deactivating is a pause. Deleting is the end.
| Option | Profile visible to others? | Data kept? | Reversible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deactivate | No, hidden from everyone | Yes, fully intact | Yes, instantly by logging back in |
| Delete | No, hidden during the waiting period, then erased | No, permanently removed after 30 days | Only while the cancellation window is open |
| Private account | Yes, to approved followers only | Yes, fully intact | Yes, switch back to public any time |
| Take a Break tools | Yes, unchanged | Yes, fully intact | Yes, settings can be changed any time |
Here is how to choose:
- Deactivate if you want a break, a digital detox, or time to think. You lose nothing, and logging in brings everything back.
- Delete if you are sure you are done. Posts, comments, likes and followers go for good.
- Go private if the real problem is strangers seeing your posts. Instagram’s help pages also name blocking people as another option. Neither one hides you from the people you already approve.
- Use Take a Break tools (daily time limits and reminders) if you only want to use the app less. Your account stays fully active.
Before you delete: download your data
Do this first. The export tool is gone after the account is deleted, so your photos, videos, messages and account history cannot be requested later. Even if you only think you might want them, request a copy now. See how to download your Instagram account data for the exact choices to make. A large archive can take a while to prepare, so start it before anything else.
If you want to get high quality backup from your Instagram profile picture or have a copy of your Reels and your account bio, you can use our downloading tools for getting a high quality copy of your media
You do not need to export anything before deactivating, since nothing is removed.
How to delete your Instagram account
You must be able to log in. Instagram cannot delete a profile for you if you do not have access, so sort out a forgotten password first (see below).
Meta is rolling out “Meta Accounts,” so you may see either the Accounts Center layout or Meta Account settings. The deletion path itself sits in the same place. What changes is the label at the bottom of the Accounts Center screen, which can read “Manage accounts” or “Accounts.” Pick the set of steps that matches your screen.
In the app, if Accounts Center shows “Manage accounts”
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the menu icon in the top right (three lines on iPhone, a similar icon on Android), then tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Accounts Center.
- Tap Profiles and personal details (or Manage account).
- Tap Manage next to the account you want to delete.
- Tap Deactivation or deletion, then select the account.
- Tap Delete account, then tap Continue.
- Follow the on-screen prompts, including your reason and password, to confirm.
In the app, if Accounts Center shows “Accounts”
- Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Tap the menu icon in the top right, then tap Settings and privacy.
- Tap Accounts Center.
- Tap Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
- Tap Deactivation or deletion, then select the account.
- Tap Delete account, then tap Continue.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm.
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android. Only the menu icon looks a little different.
On desktop
- Log in at instagram.com.
- Click More in the bottom left of the sidebar, then click Settings.
- Click Accounts Center.
- Follow whichever path above matches your screen. If you see “Manage accounts,” go to Profiles and personal details, then click Manage next to the account. If you see “Accounts,” go to Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
- Click Deactivation or deletion, then select the account.
- Click Delete account, then Continue, and confirm.
If a label does not match, look for “Deactivation or deletion” inside Accounts Center. That is where both options always live.
How to deactivate your Instagram account
The steps to deactivate your Instagram account are almost identical, which makes it easy to pick the wrong button. Read the last two steps carefully. Per Instagram’s Help Center page on temporarily deactivating your profile, you can do this from the app, a computer, or a mobile browser. You need your login details.
- Open Settings and privacy, then tap Accounts Center.
- If your screen shows “Manage accounts,” go to Profiles and personal details (or Manage account) and tap Manage next to the account. If it shows “Accounts,” go to Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
- Tap Deactivation or deletion, then select the account.
- Tap Deactivate account, then tap Continue and confirm.
On a computer, click More, then Settings, then Accounts Center, and follow the same steps.
What deactivation hides and what it keeps
Your photos, comments and likes are hidden until you log back in. Your posts, followers, messages and settings stay stored exactly as they were. Deactivation does not remove messages you already sent, so they stay in other people’s inboxes. It is a visibility switch, not a data-removal tool.
The once-a-week limit
You can deactivate only once a week. If you reactivate and then change your mind, you will need to wait seven days. There is no cap on how many times you can deactivate over the life of the account, and no time limit on how long it stays deactivated.
How to reactivate
Log back in to the app or website with your username and password. There is no separate button. As soon as you sign in, your profile, posts and followers are visible again.
Common reasons to deactivate instead of delete
- A planned break: a trip, exam season or a detox, without losing your followers or post history.
- Not sure you will come back: deactivating avoids the deletion clock and the risk of losing everything.
- Waiting out a stressful moment: some people step away after a breakup, an argument or unwanted attention, then return once things calm down.
If you are certain you want the account gone, deactivating only delays the outcome. Deleting is the more direct route.
What happens after you delete
Instagram does not erase the account instantly. Once you submit the request, your content is hidden during the waiting period. After 30 days from the request, your profile and information are permanently deleted.
The number of days you can cancel the deletion varies by region, so check the confirmation screen you see after you submit the request. The full process can take up to 90 days, and backup copies may remain after that.
Canceling a pending deletion
While the cancellation window is open, log back in to the account with your username and password. That cancels the request and restores your profile, posts and followers. Once the window closes, there is no undo.
What gets deleted and what does not
| Item | What happens |
|---|---|
| Profile, posts, Reels, Stories archive | Permanently deleted after 30 days from the request |
| Comments, likes, followers, following list | Permanently deleted after 30 days from the request |
| Your username | You can sign up again with the same username if nobody has taken it (not if the account was removed for Community Standards violations) |
| Direct messages you sent to others | May still be visible in the other person’s inbox |
| Content others reposted, saved or screenshotted | Not removed; Instagram cannot delete copies outside its own systems |
| Linked Facebook account | Not affected unless you delete it separately |
| Backup copies | May remain after the process finishes, but are not publicly accessible |
Forgot your password?
You need to be logged in to delete or deactivate, so fix the password first.
- On the login screen, tap “Forgot password?” (iPhone) or “Get help logging in” (Android).
- Enter your username, email or phone number. Instagram sends a reset link or code.
- If your account is linked to Facebook, you can also log in with your Facebook credentials.
- Once you are back in, follow the steps above.
If you no longer have the email or phone number tied to the account, and it was never linked to Facebook, Instagram’s Help Center page on account recovery is direct about the limit: it cannot grant access without a way to verify you own the account. In that case, use “Get more help” or “My account was hacked” on the login screen to start Meta’s identity-verification process.
Deleting a second account, and what about Threads?
If you have more than one profile linked in Accounts Center, choose which one to delete on the “Manage accounts” or “Accounts” screen. Deleting one linked profile does not affect your other accounts.
Removing an account from your phone’s account switcher is not the same as deleting it. Removing only unlinks it from that device. The account still exists.
Threads runs on your Instagram login. Deleting Instagram takes any linked Threads profile with it, but deleting Threads on its own leaves Instagram untouched. If you only want to leave Threads, see how to delete your Threads account.
FAQ
Is there a direct link to delete Instagram?
Do not rely on a bookmarked “instagram deletion page” or a link someone shares. Instagram’s help center sends everyone through Accounts Center, so the reliable route is the path in this guide. If you are logged in on a computer, it starts at Settings, then Accounts Center. Be wary of any site that asks for your password to delete the account for you.
Can I get my account back after deleting it?
Only while the cancellation window is open. Log back in with your username and password and the request is canceled. The length of that window varies by region. After the 30 days, the profile and information are permanently deleted, and the whole process can run up to 90 days. You can sign up again with the same username if nobody has taken it, but you start with an empty account.
How long does deactivation last?
As long as you want. Your profile stays hidden until you log back in, and there is no time limit. Just remember you can deactivate only once a week.
Does deleting Instagram delete Threads?
Yes, if your Threads profile is linked to that Instagram account, since Threads runs on Instagram’s login. Deleting Threads alone does not touch Instagram.
Can I delete my Instagram account without the app?
Yes. You can use instagram.com in a browser on a computer: More, then Settings, then Accounts Center, then Deactivation or deletion. You still need to be able to log in.