Q&A for How to Delete an Instagram Account

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How can you be sure your Instagram is completely erased?

A.J. Aldana
Social Media Specialist
A.J. Aldana is a social media specialist who has been using platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube for over 5 years. A.J. has worked with brands to curate content that has garnered thousands of interactions for various social media campaigns and is passionate about contributing to innovative and trending articles on wikiHow. He holds a BS in Product Design from Stanford University.

A.J. Aldana

Social Media Specialist

Expert Answer

If you want to make sure that all of your digital footprints are erased from Instagram, go through and delete each post individually before you delete your account.

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Question

Is disabling my account the same thing as deleting it?

Community Answer

You won't be permanently deleting your account. Disabling your account just removes your account from anyone being able to view it. You can log back in and use as normal!

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Question

Will it immediately be gone?

Community Answer

It will be gone as soon as you hit the delete button. Even if you have logged in to your Smartphone's Instagram app, you will be logged out immediately.

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Question

What if Instagram is connected to Facebook?

Community Answer

Nothing will happen -- they are different platforms. It might say sign in here with Facebook but it doesn't delete your Facebook account if you delete your Instagram account.

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Question

If I delete my account can I use the same email to create a different account in the future?

Community Answer

No. After deletion, there's no way to recover the account, you can't sign up with the same name again, nor can you use the same email address. All other data (including photos, videos, and anything else you might have stored) will also be deleted. So save your work first in another photo sharing site.

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Question

How do I delete a hacked/inaccessible Instagram account?

Community Answer

Your best bet here would be to get into contact with Instagram's support line, which can be found at the bottom of their site page (or your account page) under "Support". You'll need to explain the situation to whomever you speak to.

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Question

Will my followers get notified if I delete my Instagram account?

Community Answer

No, but your comments and likes will disappear from their media.

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Question

What should I do if I did all steps, but when I press the button, nothing happens?

Community Answer

Delete all of your photos, just in case. Then try it again, and if nothing happens, just wait as it will take time. Refresh the page a few times, then check again in an hour.

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Question

If I remove the Instagram app from my phone, will it delete my account?

Community Answer

Unfortunately, no--Instagram makes it very difficult for users to delete an account inadvertently, so you'll need to go through the processes listed in the article to delete your account.

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Question

How do I delete pictures from my account?

Community Answer

When your profile page loads, you'll see your photos in a grid. Tap the photo you want to delete, and when that loads, tap the button in the bottom right corner that looks like three dots. The first button on the menu that appears is the Delete button. Tap this, and then confirm your decision.

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Question

How do I delete inappropriate posts on the feed page when I hit the search icon?

Community Answer

Go to the post, then report them to Instagram for review. If Instagram finds that the post breaks the rules, Instagram will remove the post. If not removed, you can block the offending account.

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Question

How do I delete an account that was made using my Facebook?

Community Answer

You can unlink your Facebook created Instagram account, and then apply for a new password with the associated email address. With a new password and a standalone account, you should be able to follow the steps pictured above to delete it.

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Question

Does this affect any accounts I've followed?

Community Answer

They’ll lose a follower, and any likes or comments you made will be undone. It’s like you were never there.

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Question

If my account is permanently deleted, then are the chats in my account still visible?

Community Answer

No. When you delete your account, everything posted with your account will be erased, including private messages. If another user has saved a chat conversation with you in it, it will simply be deleted.

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Question

Should I delete my Instagram account if someone is harassing me?

Community Answer

If someone is harassing you, block them, and report their posts. You don't have to delete your account if you don't want to, but you can make it private so only your friends are able to see your profile.

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Question

I have deleted my second account from Instagram. Yet, it is still there on my app in the drop down menu. Why?

Community Answer

Try uninstalling the app, then reinstall it. It might just be taking awhile to process the deletion request.

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Question

Someone has hacked my Instagram acct and is using it to scam people, so I want to delete it permanently to prevent this. I never posted photos, so are my photos on my computer safe from being deleted?

Community Answer

Yes. If someone hacks your account, it's unlikely for them to hack your computer since computers have much better security and firewall. Do a malware scan just to be safe.

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Question

Can you delete your Instagram account without logging in?

Community Answer

No. You have to log in to your account to delete it. Instagram will not delete an account for you. You have to do it yourself for privacy/security reasons.

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Question

If I delete my Instagram account permanently, will it also delete the conversations on other accounts?

Community Answer

Yes. When you delete your account, everything you've posted will be gone. Your comments and messages will be deleted and your account will disappear.

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Question

Supposing you have five accounts but you only want to delete one of them? What do you do then?

Community Answer

Every account is individual and separate. It doesn't matter if you have access to all of them. Sign in to the account you want to delete, and fill in the forms you need to delete the account. Your other accounts won't be affected.

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Question

I want to delete my account. When I enter my password, it keeps saying my password is incorrect. Why?

Community Answer

Are you typing your password incorrectly? To make sure you didn't really make a mistake or typo, type your password in Notepad or anywhere else and copy + paste it in the form. If it still doesn't work, your account might have been compromised or hacked. You can click the "forgot password" button and you can change your password within your email. Change your password to something easier to spell, and then delete your account.

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Question

Will I be able to log back into my account?

Community Answer

No. Once you've deleted your account, it's gone forever. You cannot sign in to a permanently deleted account. If you want to temporarily disable your account, you can disable it within your profile settings. When you disable your account, all your content will be hidden until you sign back on again.

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Question

Can you delete your profile data after you download it?

Community Answer

Yes. This is what most people use the data transfer for. It will copy all your profile content (comments, videos, pictures, etc.) to your computer. If you delete your account after the download, the downloaded information on your computer will not be deleted. They're separate.

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Question

How do you delete your account on a laptop?

Community Answer

You can delete your account on any device, providing that you're signed into the account you want to delete. You cannot delete your account from your user settings, you have to go to Instagram's help center and start from there. When you click the link, you will be prompted with a password form and drop-down menu. Your account will get deleted.

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