With evolution in content, there’s a good chance some users don’t find Instagram appealing anymore. I definitely get tired of the influencer content that is shoved into my feed when browsing but I’m pretty neutral on Instagram overall. I post once or twice a week and keep my profile private and limit who I follow and who follows me.  But deleting Instagram is a good choice for many users. Whatever your reasons, here’s how to delete your Instagram account.

How to delete your Instagram account

Step 1: Open Instagram & go to your account

You can delete your account from your phone or from your computer. To delete your account, first open the app and log in if you aren’t already. Then tap on the profile icon at the bottom right of your IG app to go to your account.

Step 2: Go to the menu

Tap on the menu icon on the top left of your screen; this will give you access to settings and your activity.

Step 3: Download your data

This menu will appear when you tap on the menu icon on your profile. If you want to download your photos, posts, comments and all of your account information before deleting Instagram, select Your Activity.  If you want to continue deleting without downloading your data, move on to Step 4.  After going into Your Activity from the menu, tap on Download your Data. This will bring you to a page with your email address.  Tap on the button that says Request Download and Instagram will email you a link to a file that will contain all of your photos, comments, profile info and more. Be advised it can take up to 14 days to get this information to you. 

Step 4: Tap on Settings

After you’ve requested your data download (or if you want to skip that step), go back to the menu for your account and select Settings.

Step 5: Select Account

When the Settings menu comes up, choose Account to access all of your account settings and delete it.

Step 6: Choose Delete Account

Scroll down to where it says Delete account and tap on it.

Step 7: Delete your account

Instagram will give you the option to either deactivate your account or permanently delete it. If you are sure you want to permanently delete your account, select the Delete my Account option.

Step 8: Confirm deletion

Because deleting an entire social media account isn’t to be taken lightly, Instagram asks you to confirm if you want to delete your account before moving forward. Also: How to delete yourself from internet search results and hide your identity online

If you feel unsure about deleting everything from your Instagram account or simply want to take a break from social media, you can simply deactivate your account. Instead of deleting, deactivating your Instagram account will hide it from others until you activate it again by logging back in. To deactivate your Instagram account, simply follow the same steps to delete it, but choose Deactivate Account instead of Delete Account.  Also: Why you can’t trust Instagram