Disable or delete Instagram account: what's the difference?

Instagram is one of the largest, if not the largest, of today's social networks, with more than 1 billion users worldwide. Through it, you can share photos and videos to gain followers on Instagram and, with that, make extra income. In this article, we'll show you the differences between disabling or deleting Instagram accounts.

They are the two existing ways for those who want to get away from the platform. Discover everything that differentiates them below and learn how to use each one.

What is the difference between deactivating and deleting the Instagram account?

If you're here, you certainly know Instagram. So, we're going to start the article by comparing the two existing ways to get away from Instagram, talking about when each should be used, and then teaching you how to use them.

The first of the ways is deactivate the Instagram account without deleting it. This can be easily done by anyone, being particularly recommended for cases where you want to take a break from Instagram, moving away from the network, but being able to use your account again whenever you want.

That is, the deactivation is completely reversible, with no negative side for you. When you disable, the messages you sent, for example, will still be visible, but your profile will disappear and no one will be able to find you.

The other way is delete the Instagram account. It's a bit more boring to do because Instagram intentionally makes it difficult for users, so much so that it's impossible to do it through smartphone apps (the main way people use it!).

Recommended when you, for whatever reason, decide that you never want to return to the social network, at least not in that profile. All content that was on the platform that belongs to you will be deleted, including your list of followers on Instagram, so it is recommended to back up the data before deleting the profile.

With all this in mind, we will then explain both processes to you in detail so that you can leave Instagram, either by permanently deleting or temporarily deactivating.

We already mentioned above, but it is worth remembering that, in an attempt to keep users using the platform, Instagram does not allow you to delete your account through the iPhone or Android applications. It is possible to do this on your smartphone, but for that you must use your browser.

How to disable Instagram account?

We will first talk about the non-permanent way, which allows you to access your profile again whenever you want. Check out the step by step below:

• Follow the link to the official website of the platform to begin the process;
• Then, you will need to log in to the account you want to temporarily disable;
• Now that you are logged into your account, you will come across your timeline. In it, you must then click on the profile icon found in the upper right corner of the screen and, in the menu that appears, click on "Profile";

• You will see, next to your profile image, a button that says "Edit profile". Click on it to be redirected to the settings;

• Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see the blue button that says “Temporarily deactivate my account”. Click on it to begin the process of deactivating (not deleting) your Instagram account;

• Finally, you will need to select the reason that led you to disable your account and then enter your password. Finally click on the blue button that says “Disable account temporarily”.

How to permanently delete your account?

As already mentioned more than once, Instagram really wants you to keep your account, even if it is disabled. For this, the process becomes much less intuitive. Follow the steps below:

• Follow the link to the Instagram account deletion page on any of your internet browsers to begin the process. It is worth mentioning that it is necessary to follow the link, as it cannot be found on Instagram pages;
• From a list, choose the reason that led you to delete the Instagram account and not to deactivate it. The options are:
  • Problems getting started;
  • It takes up a lot of my time / diverts my attention a lot;
  • Privacy issues;
  • Too many ads;
  • I can't find people to follow;
  • A second account was created;
  • I want to remove something;
  • Another motive.
• For each of the reasons, you can see several suggestions on how to solve the problems without having to delete. If you still want to delete, enter the Instagram password in the field provided;
• To complete the process and finish deleting your account permanently, click on the red button that says "Delete my account permanently".

Did you understand the differences between deactivating or deleting your Instagram account?

Leave in the comments if you already knew both ways or if we show you a new alternative. Remember to also check the best phrases for Instagram bio, how to link in the bio using alternatives to Linktree and learn how to organize your Instagram feed!