How to delete your Instagram account

If you've made the decision to delete Instagram, whether it's because you've outlived the need for a certain finsta or because its parent company Meta is once again causing controversy, it's not not as quick or easy as it should be. It can't even be done from the Instagram app.

Go ahead and take a moment to create a mandatory 'I'm deleting Instagram' post if you wish, then follow these steps to abandon your account - they can be followed using a computer or phone, as long as you're using a browser.

• First, you'll need to go to Instagram's special account deletion request page, found here, or by following the link in Instagram's help article at account deletion. If you're not logged into Instagram for web (most people won't be), you'll need to enter your credentials. In fact, it's very likely that you'll have to enter your password twice throughout the removal process, so now's probably a good time to make sure you know what it is.

• You should end up on a page with the old Instagram logo and a dropdown asking why you want to delete your account. Depending on the option you choose, you may see various links to Instagram's help center promising to fix your problems or a message helpfully reminding you to verify the account you're deleting.
• Whatever you choose, there will be a box under the links asking you to re-enter your password. After that, tap or click the button that says "Delete (your account name)" and confirm that you are safe.

As Instagram repeatedly says on the account deletion page, your data won't be erased immediately – Meta will keep it for 30 days. But your profile and publications will be hidden on the site.

If you break away from Instagram altogether, remember to delete the app from your phone as well. This will save you some space and also put some friction between you and re-subscribing to the service.

How to undelete your Instagram account

Be aware that you won't be able to recover your account if it's been more than 30 days since you asked Instagram to delete it. You'll need to recreate your account (your username will be freed after your account is deleted, but it's possible someone took it).

However, if you are within that 30-day period, you can recover your account, along with its posts and DMs. To do this, simply return to Instagram and log in with your credentials. You'll see a message that you've requested your account be deleted, along with the date your data will be gone. To prevent this from happening, just tap the "Keep Account" button.

Temporary suspension of your Instagram account

If you want to remove your account from public view, but don't want to permanently delete all of your photos and posts, you can suspend your account instead.

To reactivate your account, simply log back in using the app or website. You can only suspend your account once a week, so if you accidentally log back into your profile, your posts will be back online and visible to followers, at least for a little while.