HIGHLIGHTS
- Instagram provides option to deactivate your account from a Web browser
- You can bring back your temporarily deactivated Instagram account
- Instagram, however, doesn’t provide option to bring back deleted account
Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for sharing photos and short videos. While the platform launched back in October 2010 was initially popular among celebrities, it recently emerged as a place for individuals to highlight public issues. We also saw Instagram becoming as a medium in the recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India and the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Having said that, just like Facebook and other social media platforms, Instagram also get many posts that spread fake news and misinformation. This could be the reason why you want to deactivate your Instagram account, or maybe social media has become just too much for you.
For deactivation, Instagram provides two options. You can either temporarily deactivate your account or delete your account to permanently remove your profile as well as photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers. If you’ve decided to move on completely, you should go with the option to delete your account.
How to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account?
To temporarily deactivate your Instagram account, you need to follow the steps provided below.
- Log into your Instagram account from a mobile browser or computer by visiting https://instagram.com.
- Tap or click your profile icon from the top-right corner and then select the Edit Profile option.
- Now, scroll down and then tap or click the Temporarily disable my account option in the bottom right.
- Instagram will show you a page with a drop-down menu next to Why are you disabling your account? You’ll need to pick an option from the menu and then re-enter your password. The drop-down menu includes options such as Can’t find people to follow, Concerned about my data, Just need a break, Privacy concerns, Too busy/ too distracting, Too many ads, and Want to remove something. You can also pick the Something else option if you don’t want to specify your reason for temporary deactivation.
- Tap or click the Temporarily Disable Account button to accomplish the deactivation process.
Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for sharing photos and short videos. While the platform launched back in October 2010 was initially popular among celebrities, it recently emerged as a place for individuals to highlight public issues. We also saw Instagram becoming as a medium in the recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India and the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Having said that, just like Facebook and other social media platforms, Instagram also get many posts that spread fake news and misinformation. This could be the reason why you want to deactivate your Instagram account, or maybe social media has become just too much for you.
For deactivation, Instagram provides two options. You can either temporarily deactivate your account or delete your account to permanently remove your profile as well as photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers. If you’ve decided to move on completely, you should go with the option to delete your account.
How to temporarily deactivate your Instagram account?
To temporarily deactivate your Instagram account, you need to follow the steps provided below.
- Log into your Instagram account from a mobile browser or computer by visiting https://instagram.com.
- Tap or click your profile icon from the top-right corner and then select the Edit Profile option.
- Now, scroll down and then tap or click the Temporarily disable my account option in the bottom right.
- Instagram will show you a page with a drop-down menu next to Why are you disabling your account? You’ll need to pick an option from the menu and then re-enter your password. The drop-down menu includes options such as Can’t find people to follow, Concerned about my data, Just need a break, Privacy concerns, Too busy/ too distracting, Too many ads, and Want to remove something. You can also pick the Something else option if you don’t want to specify your reason for temporary deactivation.
- Tap or click the Temporarily Disable Account button to accomplish the deactivation process.
Once you click or tap the Permanently delete my account button, your photos, comments, likes, and followers on Instagram will be removed permanently and won’t be recoverable. Also, as mentioned above, you won’t be able to sign up using the same username again in the future.
If you have a separate account that you’d like to delete permanently, click the username of that account from the top-right corner of the Delete Your Account page, tap or click on the settings gear option next to the username and then select Log Out. You’ll now need to log in with the account that you want to delete and then follow the aforementioned steps.
You can also switch to the temporarily deactivation page directly from the Delete Your Account page if you don’t want to delete your Instagram account permanently.
Just like temporarily deactivating, deletion of an Instagram account works only through the Web browsers and isn’t provided through an option in the Instagram apps.
In the near past, Instagram has tried to reduce the number of deactivation and deletion of accounts by making certain changes. The Facebook-owned platform rolled out a ‘Restrict’ option to let users stop people who bully them by posting offensive content and passing abusive comments. It also added a ‘Caption Warning’ feature to flag objectionable captions.
Instagram in August introduced a fact-checking programme in the US that enabled users to flag fake news on the platform. However, the initiative was found to have a limited scope to remove disinformation. Instagram also recently announced that in order to fight against misinformation, it is partnering with fact-checkers around the world. The platform already started working with third-party allies in the US to help identify, review, and label posts spreading bogus content to the public.
Last month, Instagram started requiring birthdates from all new users to expand the audience for ads on age-restricted products and bring new safety measures for young users who are at least 13 years old. The platform, however, doesn’t ask for a proof to verify birthdates and would rely on artificial intelligence to verify the facts provided by its users.
