Do you only want to remove an Instagram account from the app? Log out of that account and, if necessary, remove the saved login. Do you want to delete the account permanently? Choose deletion through Accounts Center. You can also temporarily deactivate your account. This hides your profile without deleting it permanently.
Below you can see the difference between these choices. Choose what you want to do and follow the relevant steps.
Remove an Instagram account from the app or delete it permanently?
Removing an account from your phone is not the same as deleting the account. It depends on what you want: a shorter list of accounts, a break or to stop using a profile altogether.
| What do you want to do? | What do you choose? | What happens to your account? |
|---|---|---|
| Stop using an extra account on this phone | Log out and remove the saved login | Your account and content remain |
| Be temporarily invisible on Instagram | Temporarily deactivate | Your account is kept but hidden |
| Stop using this profile permanently | Delete permanently | Your account and associated content will be deleted |
| Only remove the app from your phone | Delete the Instagram app | Your account remains |
Suppose you have a personal profile and an old profile for your drawings. Do you only want to stop seeing the drawing profile among your accounts? Start by logging out of that profile. You do not need to delete any photos or followers for this.
Do you want to stop permanently but are unsure which photos you want to keep? Decide that first and save them before requesting deletion.
Remove an extra Instagram account from the app
First open the profile you want to remove from this phone. Check the username. Especially when two profile pictures look almost identical, it is easy to choose the wrong account.
- Switch to the intended account. Read the username at the top of the profile before continuing.
- Open the menu for your profile. Look in the settings for the option to log out.
- Check which accounts are being logged out. Choose only the intended account if Instagram gives you that option. Do not choose all accounts if you want to keep using the others.
- View the login screen. Is the account still there? Look for an option for that profile to remove the saved login from the device.
The names and locations of these options may differ between app versions. Do you see a different button? Check whether it really concerns logging out, not deleting your account. The iCulture explanation of multiple Instagram accounts also covers logging out of an extra account.
A saved login makes it easier to log in later. Do you still see your name on the login screen? That does not automatically mean that you are still logged in.
If you remove that login, your account and photos remain. Also pay attention to other devices: logging out on this phone does not mean that you have been logged out everywhere.
Permanently delete your Instagram account through Accounts Center
With permanent deletion, you delete the account itself. This means giving up your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers. This choice therefore does not apply only to the phone you are using at that moment.
Open the settings menu from your Instagram profile. Look for Accounts Center. This contains various settings for your linked accounts. The exact location in the menu may differ.
The SeniorWeb guide on deleting Instagram mentions this route: Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion.
- Select the correct Instagram profile. Check the username, even if you recognise the profile picture.
- Choose delete. Deactivation is the temporary option and does not delete your account permanently.
- Read the confirmation screen. Check what will disappear and which date or period Instagram shows for your request.
- Complete the confirmation. Instagram may ask you to prove again that the account belongs to you.
Does Instagram show a deadline by which you can still stop the request? Make a note of it if you might change your mind. Rely on the notification for your request, not on a period from an old article.
Cannot log in? Read the explanation about deleting an Instagram account without a password. Deleting only the app does not help you bypass access verification for your account.
Temporarily deactivate your Instagram account
Do you want a break and do you want your profile to be temporarily invisible? Choose deactivation. Your profile and associated content will be hidden while the account is deactivated. This does not delete them permanently.
In Accounts Center, go to the same choice for deactivation or deletion. Select the correct profile and choose deactivate. Read the conditions Instagram displays and then confirm your choice.
Are you unsure whether to deactivate or log out? Ask yourself: can other people still see my profile? If so, logging out may be enough. If you want to hide the profile temporarily, deactivation is more suitable.
Removing only the app does not hide your profile. Other people can still come across the account. You also do not need to remove the app if you deactivate one profile and want to keep using another.
Save your data before deleting Instagram
First save anything you may want later. Think of photos, but also a recipe under a post, your own text or a video for which you have no other copy.
- Find your original files. Check your phone, computer and any online storage.
- In Accounts Center, look for downloading or exporting information. The name of this option may differ. Choose the account whose data you want to save.
- Wait until the files are available. Requesting a copy is not enough: you must also receive and save the files.
- Open the saved files. Check that the photos, videos and texts you want to keep are present and readable.
Such a download is an archive: a collection of data that you save yourself. It is not a copy of your profile that you can restore later with one action. So do not assume that you can restore your old followers or comments with it.
Deleting your account does not delete all copies that exist elsewhere either. For example, someone may have taken a screenshot of your post. Also do not expect a conversation to disappear completely from the recipient’s phone automatically.
Remove an Instagram account when you have multiple accounts
Do you use multiple accounts on one phone? Beforehand, note for each username what you want to do: keep, log out, deactivate or delete. This lets you check that you are on the correct profile each time you switch.
A fictional example: you have a personal profile, a shared holiday profile and an old hobby profile. Only the hobby profile needs to be removed from the app. You log out of it and, if necessary, remove the saved login. You leave the other two accounts as they are.
Do you use a profile together with someone else? First discuss whether you only want to remove your access or delete the entire account. With permanent deletion, the content the other person still uses will also disappear.
Before logging out, check whether you still know the password. Also check whether you have access to the associated email address. This is important if you want to log in again later.
Are you also tidying up an old profile on YouTube? Then read how to delete a YouTube channel without deleting your Google account.
Add or recover your Instagram account again
After logging out, you can log in again. Open the login option in the app and enter the details for the correct account. Removing a saved login does not change your password.
You can generally reactivate a temporarily deactivated account by logging in. Pay attention to any notifications from Instagram. Do you want to keep the profile hidden? Then do not log in just to take a quick look.
Have you requested permanent deletion and regret it? Try logging in immediately. Check whether Instagram still offers an option to cancel the request and complete that confirmation. Simply opening the app is not automatically enough.
Has the permanent deletion been completed? You can no longer recover the old account. A new account does not restore your old content and followers. You also cannot count on your old username becoming available again immediately. If you also publish your own content, our Instagram services includes packages for followers and likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
