So, you finally deleted your Facebook account. The misinformation, the scams, the data privacy issues, the odd company decisions (like the one giving politicians a pass to lie) — it all just became too much.
Your Facebook profile is now gone, and you’ve moved on to other social media platforms like … deleting Instagram?!
You probably know this, but just in case you don’t: Facebook owns Instagram. And while those platforms might have felt different enough before, Instagram is increasingly experiencing the same kinds of problems — coronavirus disinfo, a role in the foreign influence on elections, scams — found on Facebook.
If you’re ready to tap out of Facebook altogether, it might be time to say goodbye to your Instagram account, too.
So, you ready? OK, here’s how to delete Instagram from your life forever.
You can’t delete from Instagram app
First things first: If you’re looking for a delete button somewhere in the menus on your Instagram mobile app (you know, the thing most people use to surf and post on Instagram), you can stop. You cannot delete your Instagram account via the mobile app.
You can only delete your account by logging into Instagram from your desktop or mobile browser.
Download your Instagram data first
But before we get to deleting your account, you may want to download your data to your own personal computer hard drive first.
To do that, log in to your account via the web browser and click “Settings” (the gears icon) on your profile page. Click the “Privacy & Security” option on the pop-up menu, then click on “Request Download” under Data Download.
Be sure to download your Instagram data before deleting all your memories.
Image: screenshot / instagram
Type in your email address and hit the “next” button. Instagram will email you a downloadable file with all your data within 48 hours.
Got your data? Good. Now, to delete your account.
Delete your Instagram account
Log in to Instagram and click this link to go to the Instagram account deletion page. Are you deleting your account because of data concerns? Privacy issues? Let Instagram know via the options in the drop-down menu.
Why are you deleting Instagram? Well, they want to know.
Image: screenshot / instagram
After that, you’ll be presented with a password input. Just type out your Instagram password and click “permanently delete my account.”
Remember! Your account, along with all your photos and data, will be deleted from the platform for good. You will not be able to register a new account with that same username, so make sure you really want to delete your account before hitting that button.
And … that’s it. You are now free from yet another Mark Zuckerberg-run social media platform. Congratulations!