Instagram or ‘insta as you may simply know it is one of the biggest social networks out there and a go-to place for anyone wanting to upload photos or look at them.

It is a great place to explore, find new followers, as well as people to follow, and more.

However, there comes a time when we want to distance ourselves from social media for a time or even permanently.

If you wish to make sure that you won’t return to Instagram out of pure habit, the best way to do so is to deactivate your account. It is easy to do, and you can either deactivate it or delete it completely.

In this article, I’ll be showing you how.

How to deactivate my account

If you wish to deactivate your account or, as Instagram calls it ‘temporarily disable’ it, it’s a half-way solution to leaving Instagram.

You don’t have to worry about losing your content, as this method will only temporarily disable your profile, photos, comments, likes, and everything else.

But, the key thing is that you will still be able to recover it at any time if you change your mind.

With that in mind, here is what you need to do.

1. Log into your Instagram account from a mobile or computer browser (you cannot deactivate your account from the app itself).
2. Click/Tap on your profile photo in the top-right corner, and then on Edit Profile.
3. Scroll down until you see the option called ‘Temporarily Disable My Account‘.
4. Click it, and you will see a drop-down menu that will allow you to pick a reason why you are disabling the account.
5. You will have to re-enter your password.
6. Once you do this, a new option called Temporarily Disable Account will appear. Click it, and you are done.

Not too hard, was it?

If you change your mind you can reactivate it, but more on that later.

So what if you want to delete things on a more permanent irreversible basis? Let’s find out.

How to permanently close my account

The second option is to delete your account, as well as all information tied to it, permanently.

That would include photos, videos, comments, followers, likes, and everything else. Once your account gets deleted, not even Instagram will be able to reactivate it.

However, you can still use your username at a later date to assign it to another account.

You also cannot ask Instagram to delete your account for security reasons. You can only do it yourself, and that means having to log into your account.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Log into the account you want to delete permanently.
2. Go to its Delete Your Account page. It’s difficult to find so use that link. Once again, do it from a browser on mobile or computer, as you can’t do this from the app.
3. You will get different options urging you to choose the reason why you are deleting your account.
4. You will have to enter your password to confirm your identity.
5. The option to permanently delete your account should appear at this point. Click it, and you’re done.

How to reactive my Instagram account?

If you have gone with the first option, which is to disable your account temporarily instead of deleting it forever, you can come back at any time.

It is straightforward and quick to reactivate your Instagram account, and you can do it at any time after disabling it.

It is a temporary measure that you can reverse by following a few simple steps. However, before you do it, make sure that this is what you really want. If the answer is yes, then here are the steps you should follow:

1. Use your mobile device to locate the Instagram app icon and tap it to open it.
2. You will be brought to the login screen.
3. Enter your username and password for the account you wish to reactivate.
4. The last step to fully restore your account and bring it back to normal is to simply click ‘Login.’ And, that’s it.

Not hard at all.

Top reasons to delete your ‘Gram

If you are a fan of social networks, and especially of those focusing so heavily on photos, you may be interested in why you would want to delete Instagram in the first place?

Here are some of the most common reasons.

1. It makes you lose a lot of time browsing photos.
2. It prevents you from experiencing life yourself.
3. You lose your privacy sharing detailed photos.
4. Your mindset changes and you become addicted to others’ approval.
5. You waste a lot of your mobile data.

Are there any reasons I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments section.

Other privacy steps you can take

If you have started developing privacy concerns (and you really should), there are additional steps you can take to reduce the amount of data that the internet takes away from you.

You can consider closing other social media accounts, as well. Things like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and others can all be your window into the world, but they take as much as they give.

It can be OK to use social media, but it all depends on how much you choose to share or information you freely giveaway.

A good privacy-protecting system is using a VPN app. That way, you can achieve greater anonymity and privacy.

Note that this won’t work for your social media, as you will be logged into your account, and the website will assume that it is you, even though your data looks different from a VPN.

Lastly, if you do like to share content online, try not to post sensitive data. This includes:

• Your location.
• Names, dates and other information in ‘surveys’ or ‘get to know me’ posts.
• Photos of your children or family.
• Details about your travel plans.
• Times you visit certain places, such as school or work.

It will go a long way when it comes to protecting yourself from hackers and scammers.

Summary

Instagram is a fun social network, where everyone posts photos, updating the world of their life and experiences.

These range from truthful photos to those completely faking how glamorous their lives are – but it all adds to the fun.

However, it can also waste your time and prevent you from focusing on your own life.

If you wish to disable it temporarily, or even delete it entirely, there are ways to do this. Just follow the steps above and you can regain both your privacy and time.

Now you’ve deactivated or deleted your account, are you tempted to go back to it? Let me know below.

Illustration © Michaelgolez – Dreamstime.com