Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites around — and one of the most addicting. If you want to tone down your Instagram habits, you can always delete or deactivate your Instagram account.
The difference between the two options is that deleting your Instagram account is permanent, while deactivating is temporary and lets you get your account back later
How to delete your Instagram account:
1. Go to the Instagram website and log into your account.
2. Go to the account deletion page.
3. From the drop-down menu, choose the reason you are deleting your account.
4. Enter your password again. Then click or tap the delete button.
Note: Instagram says it will take 30 days for your account and data permanently erase your account. During that time, your account will not be accessible on Instagram.
How to deactivate your Instagram account
1. Go to the Instagram website, and log into your account.
2. Go to your profile picture in the top right, click or tap your profile and then “Edit Profile.”
3. Scroll down, then click or tap “Temporarily disable my account” in the bottom right.
4. Choose the reason you are deactivating your account from the drop-down menu next to “Why are you disabling your account?” and enter your password again.
5. Click or tap “Temporarily disable account.”
Note: If you want to reactivate your account, log into the Instagram app.
How to download your Instagram data
From a computer:
1. Log into your account, and go to your profile picture then click Settings.
2. Click Privacy and Security.
3. Scroll to the Data Download section and click Request Download.
4. Enter your email address and click Next.
5. Enter your Instagram account password and click Request Download.
6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.
In the Instagram app:
1. Log into your account, and go to your profile.
2. Tap on the menu icon in the top right then tap Settings.
3. Tap on security, then tap “Download Data”
4. Enter your email address and tap “Request download”
5. Enter your Instagram account password, and tap Next, then tap Done.
6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.
From a mobile browser:
1. Log into your account, and go to your profile.
2. Tap Settings in top left then tap Privacy and Security.
3. Scroll down to Data Download and tap Request Download.
4. Enter your email address and tap Next.
5. Enter your Instagram account password and tap Request Download.
6. You will receive an email with a link to your Instagram data. Click Download Data and follow the instructions to finish downloading your information.
