How to Delete Your Instagram Account on an Iphone

If you frequent social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, chances are you may have seen friends participating in social media cleanses – where you delete an app for a few days, or longer, in order to cut down on screen time (and often stress).

But if it’s now your turn to leave social media behind, options for deleting your profiles may not exist on the apps themselves. For example, Instagram accounts can only be deleted via a web browser.

Here’s how to delete your Instagram account on an iPhone through that process.

How to Delete Your Instagram Account on an Iphone

1. First, open Safari or any other web browser on your iPhone.

2. Go to http://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent

3. Here you will sign into your Instagram account using either your handle, email, or phone number and password.

4. Once signed in, you will be prompted to answer why you are choosing to delete your Instagram account via a drop-down menu.

5. You will then be asked to enter your password again. Once you’ve done that, tap on “Permanently delete my account” at the bottom.

6. The last screen before your account is permanently deleted will ask you if you are sure. If so, tap “OK.”

This will permanently delete your account, meaning you can never access it again. If this sounds too extreme for you, you can also disable your account, which will hide it from public view until you decide to log back in.

How to temporarily disable your Instagram account on an iPhone

1. Open Safari or another web browser on your phone.

2. Go to http://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request and log into your Instagram account.

3. You’ll be asked to provide the reason that you’re disabling your account.

4. Enter your password again, and tap “Temporarily Disable Account.”

5. You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to disable it again. Tap “Yes.”

How to delete the Instagram app off your iOS device

1. Press and hold the Instagram app icon on the homescreen of your iOS device until all the apps begin to wiggle.

2. Tap the ‘x’ in the top left corner of the Instagram app.

3. Tap “Delete.”

But remember that permanently deleting your account will erase your entire Instagram history, including all your photos. If you want to save your Instagram data before deleting, here’s how to do that:

How to download your data on Instagram before deleting the app

1. Open the Instagram app.

2. On your profile page, tap the three lines in the upper righthand corner of the screen.

3. At the bottom, tap “Settings” – the icon that looks like a gear.

4. In Settings, find “Security.”

5. In the Security menu, under Data and History, tap “Download Data.”

6. Enter the email you wish to have your Instagram data sent to and tap “Request Download” – it can take up to 2 days for Instagram to send your photos, comments, and profile information. You should wait until you receive the data before deleting your account.