It might feel like the time to deactivate your Instagram account. Perhaps it’s become overwhelming, you need to take a break, or you’re just done with a certain account for the time being. In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to deactivate your Instagram account, as well as why and when.
What Deactivating Your Instagram Account Means
Maybe your other half is annoyed about how much time you spend on social media. Or worse – maybe your boss is annoyed! Simply logging out isn’t enough to stop you from hopping back on the ‘Gram. Your iPhone’s time limit function isn’t doing anything to help. Or maybe you’re not that naughty, but simply can’t find time for Instagram anywhere.
Maybe Instagram just isn’t for you.
Deactivating your Instagram account is a solution to any of these problems.
You’re not deleting your account, you’re just deactivating it. That means it disappears until you are ready to restart that account again, whether that’s tomorrow or next year. Thankfully, all of your photos, username, bio and archive will still be there for you when you return. It’s just like taking a vacation and coming home again. All your friends and family will still be there to welcome you home.
Of course, not everyone wants to bite the bullet and permanently delete their Instagram account. You certainly might regret it! That’s why the deactivation option is great. Your account disappears temporarily but it still exists. No one can steal your username, your pictures remain and you can claim it back at any time!
If you want to trial run life without Instagram, try deactivating your account for a little while to see if it’s the best option for you to be Instagram-free.
How To Deactivate Your Instagram Account
There are only four simple steps to deactivate your Instagram account, and we’ll take you through them.
It’s important to take a break from social media every now and then. In fact, social media has ranked very high for being detrimental to mental health.
In the last few months, there have been serious actions taken by Instagram to filter out negative, abusive or trolling comments. However, that doesn’t mean that the time-consuming side of Instagram doesn’t take a toll on people, too.
If you’re a serious Instagrammer, there is a lot of pressure that comes with that! Of course, you can log out, delete the app from your phone, or set up a time limit, but every now and then, you might need to go the full length and deactivate your account to get a break from the site.
This is especially a good idea if you’re going on holiday. For example, if Instagram is your job, it’s very hard to stay away from it. If you’re taking a week’s vacation, treat yourself to deactivating your account so that you can detox from the daily pressure of Instagram.
1. Log On
First, log on to instagram.com from a mobile browser or computer. Unfortunately, you’re unable to deactivate an Instagram account from the app.
Instagram will take you to the home page, where you’ll see your following’s photos and stories.
2. Edit Your Profile
Access your Instagram profile by clicking the person icon in the top right corner.
From your personal Instagram page, click ‘Edit Profile’ which is in the box next to your username.
3. Temporary Disable Your Instagram Account
You’ll see the option to temporarily disable your Instagram account. It’s in the bottom right in bold blue letters. Now is the time to click that button! It might feel weird, but you can reactivate your account whenever you’re ready.
4. Explain Why
Instagram needs to know the reason for why you’re deactivating your Instagram account.
Select the option that best describes the reason you’re deactivating your Instagram, whether that’s ‘can’t find people to follow’, ‘too many ads’ or ‘just need a break’. If your reason isn’t listed, click ‘something else’. Instagram won’t ask for any more details.
They ask for this information so they can make Instagram a better place. For example, if loads of people deactivated their account because of too many ads, Instagram might start showing less ads.
Next, you need to enter your password to confirm that you want to temporarily disable your account. You will need to confirm that you want to deactivate your account again, but after that, your account will be deactivated!
Reactivate Your Instagram Account
You’ve probably decided to temporarily disable your account rather than delete it because you want to use it again at some point. This is the perfect option for you! You’ll be glad to know that it’s super easy to reactivate your Instagram account.
You must wait 24 hours from disabling it. Of course, this helps with people constantly deactivating and reactivating their accounts. After 24 hours, all you need to do is log back in as normal. Instagram will recognize this as you reactivating your account and you’ll have your account back in a jiffy! No need to go through a big long process to claim back your account. It’s very simple.
When To Deactivate Instagram Account
As mentioned, Instagram makes you wait a day before logging back into a disabled account. Just the same way, it will make you wait before you deactivate your account again.
In fact, you can only disable your Instagram account once a week.
Instagram is clearly taking measures to make sure people don’t abuse this function by setting limits to it.
However, there are rumors around that some people have had to wait longer than a week to deactivate their account again, so this might vary depending on how many times you’ve previously tried to do this.
On the other hand, if you are deactivating your count 2 or 3 times every month, it might be worth deleting your account in this case! It doesn’t make sense to keep an account that you are not sure of.
In fact, if you continue to deactivate and reactivate your account, there is the possibility that your Instagram might be compromised. Unfortunately, they might disable your account from you, and then it will be super difficult to get it back.
Don’t abuse the deactivation function!
If you’re leaving Instagram for reasons such as spam, bullying, abuse, then there are other ways to combat these problems. Have a visit to the Instagram help center to see if you can manage the negativity on your Instagram account.
You can always opt to make your Instagram account private so that you can filter out anyone you don’t want to be on your Instagram.
There is so much advice online about how to make Instagram a better place for yourself and your followers. Of course, you don’t want Instagram to be a negative place for you so much that it affects your mental health, too. There are so many benefits to Instagram including it being a place to connect to new people, share your artwork and learn more about what’s going on in the world. So before you commit to permanently deleting your Instagram, follow some of these tips.
In conclusion, deactivating your Instagram account is a great temporary solution for those who need a break from Instagram or want to leave for any other reason! Of course, you can reactivate it at any point after 24 hours. Just make sure to deactivate instead of permanently delete if you aren’t 100% sure you want to leave the site just yet.