How to Delete Instagram Account Permanently (Phone & PC)

If you're looking for how to delete an Instagram account without choosing the wrong option, start with one decision: leave permanently or take a break? Deletion removes your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers permanently. Temporary deactivation hides your profile, photos, comments and likes until you log back in.

Quick answer: On iPhone, open your profile, tap Menu, then Accounts Center. On a computer, click More in the bottom left, then Settings and Accounts Center. If you see Accounts at the bottom, go to Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. If you see Manage accounts, open Profiles and personal details, choose Manage next to the account type, then Deactivation or deletion. Select the correct Instagram profile, choose Delete account, then Continue and confirm. Download your information first and wait until the file is saved. Instagram says your profile and information are permanently deleted after 30 days, but the number of days you can cancel varies by region, so read the notice shown during your request. Completing deletion may take up to 90 days; that is processing time, not extra recovery time. On Android, Instagram's help page says to use Instagram.com in a computer or mobile browser rather than relying on the app.

I checked these steps against Instagram's Help Center on November 8, 2026: the delete your Instagram account guide, including its iPhone and Android versions, plus temporarily deactivate your profile and export your information. Instagram says it is gradually updating people to Meta Accounts, so you may see Accounts Center or Meta Account settings. Both layouts are covered below.

Delete Instagram: every method at a glance

Pick the row that matches your device or situation, then jump to that section.

Instagram's current deletion help walks you through Settings and Accounts Center rather than publishing a standalone deletion URL. If a menu name does not match, use the layout you actually see instead of mixing labels from both versions.

Permanent deletion vs temporary deactivation

According to Instagram's deletion guide, deleting removes your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers permanently. It is not the right choice if you simply want your profile out of sight for a while.

For a break, deactivation is the less final option. For a permanent departure, export anything you want to keep first. Both choices live on the same Deactivation or deletion screen, so read the label before you continue.

Before you delete: download your Instagram data

Instagram recommends exporting your information first. Once your profile has been deleted, you will no longer have access to its export tool.

The following desktop route comes directly from Instagram's information export guide:

1. Open Instagram, click More in the bottom left, then Settings.
2. Click Meta Account, then Your information and permissions.
3. Click Export your information.
4. Click Create export.
5. Select the Instagram profile you want to export, then click Next.
6. Choose Export to device.
7. Choose the information, date range, format, notification email and media quality you want.
8. Click Start export.

Check your available storage first. Instagram notes that the information and media quality you select affect file size; high-quality videos make larger files. The same tool also offers Export to external service if you would rather send the copy to a connected service.

When the export is ready, retrieve it from Available downloads. Instagram says it can take up to 30 days to email an export link, and the finished export is available for 4 days. Requesting the file is not the same as saving it, so wait until you have downloaded the copy you need before you delete the account. Instagram also notes that some information you have already deleted may be stored temporarily for safety and security, but it will not appear in the download.

If you cannot access your account and still want a copy of your information, Instagram's export page says you can contact them from that help article. That does not replace the login required for deletion.

How to delete Instagram account on your phone

iPhone: use the Instagram app

The official iPhone instructions show two layouts. Start with:

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Open Accounts Center.

If you see “Accounts” at the bottom of Accounts Center:

1. Tap Personal details under Account Settings.
2. Tap Account ownership and control.
3. Tap Deactivation or deletion.
4. Choose the account or profile you want to delete.
5. Select Delete account.
6. Tap Continue, then follow the instructions to confirm.

If you see “Manage accounts” at the bottom:

1. Tap Profiles and personal details.
2. Tap Manage next to the account type you want to delete.
3. Tap Deactivation or deletion.
4. Select the account you want to permanently delete.
5. Tap Delete account, then Continue.

Double-check the selected profile before confirming. The official process asks you to choose an account; do not rush past that choice if several profiles appear, especially if Facebook is listed in the same Accounts Center.

Android: use Instagram's browser route

Instagram's Android help page specifically says Android app users need to go to Instagram.com on a computer or mobile browser to delete their profile.

That page also displays app-style instructions, so its wording is inconsistent. Rather than promise an Android app button will work, use the browser route it explicitly recommends. Open Instagram.com in your phone's browser, sign in and use Accounts Center's Deactivation or deletion settings, matching the Accounts or Manage accounts layout described above. If the mobile menu does not match, use a computer and follow the desktop instructions below.

Delete Instagram on a desktop computer

Log in to Instagram in your browser. The desktop deletion guide starts with More in the bottom left, then Settings.

If Accounts Center shows “Accounts”

1. Click Accounts Center at the top left.
2. Click Personal details under Account Settings.
3. Click Account ownership and control.
4. Click Deactivation or deletion.
5. Choose the account or profile you want to delete.
6. Select Delete account.
7. Click Continue and follow the confirmation instructions.

If Accounts Center shows “Manage accounts”

1. Click Accounts Center, then Profiles and personal details.
2. Click Manage beside the account type you want to delete.
3. Click Deactivation or deletion.
4. Click the account you want to permanently delete.
5. Click Delete account, then Continue.

Use the branch that matches your settings rather than combining labels from both versions. After you confirm, read the on-screen notice for your cancellation window.

How to temporarily deactivate instead

Instagram's deactivation page says temporary deactivation hides your profile, photos, comments and likes until you reactivate by logging back in. It is available through a computer, a mobile browser or the Instagram app, and Instagram limits deactivation to once a week.

You also need to be able to log in. If you cannot remember your password or username, recover access first using the login steps later in this guide.

For the documented Manage accounts desktop layout:

1. Log in, click More, then Settings.
2. Click Accounts Center, then Manage account.
3. Click Manage beside the profile you want to deactivate.
4. Click Deactivation or deletion and select the intended profile.
5. Choose Deactivate account.
6. Click Continue and follow the confirmation instructions.

The decisive choice is Deactivate account, not Delete account. Instagram's deactivation article currently mixes some "permanently delete" headings with these steps, and its second layout uses deletion-style wording. Trust the button you tap. If you only want fewer people seeing your posts, Instagram notes that you can set them to private or block people instead.

What happens after you request deletion?

Instagram's deletion page says your profile and information are permanently deleted after 30 days, but the number of days you can cancel varies by region. Do not treat 30 days as a guaranteed cancellation window everywhere; read the notice shown during your own request and screenshot it on Android or iPhone if you want that date on record. During that period, Instagram says the content remains subject to its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and is not accessible to other people using Instagram.

Instagram does not publish separate button-by-button steps for cancelling a deletion request. Use the notice shown when you confirm, rather than assuming a login will automatically undo it the way some other apps work.

After the profile is deleted, Instagram says you can sign up again with the same username, or add that username to another profile, as long as it has not been taken by a new person. If your profile was removed for violating Community Standards, you may not be able to sign up again with the same username.

If you can't log in or forgot your password

If you cannot log in, recover access first. Instagram says it cannot delete a profile for you for security reasons: you must be able to log in to request deletion. The same requirement applies to temporary deactivation.

Start with Instagram's official recovery options:

1. Forgot your password? On the login screen, tap Forgot password?, enter your username, email or phone number, then tap Send login link. Follow the link Instagram sends to your email or phone, as described in Recover your Instagram password.
2. Forgot your username? Instagram says you can still log in with the email address or phone number on the account. Once you are in, your username appears at the top of your profile. See What to do if you forget your Instagram username.
3. Think the account was hacked? Visit instagram.com/hacked on a desktop or mobile browser, as Instagram documents in If you think your Instagram profile has been hacked and Secure your Instagram account. If you can still get in, change your password, turn on two-factor authentication, confirm your email and phone number, remove unrecognized linked accounts and revoke suspicious third-party apps. Then export anything you want to keep and delete the account.

If the password-reset flow does not work, Instagram's recovery page tells you to continue from a desktop or mobile browser. Do not send your password to anyone claiming they can delete the profile for you.

Deleting the Instagram app is not deleting your account

Removing the Instagram app from your iPhone or Android phone only uninstalls it. Your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers stay in place until you delete the account from Accounts Center.

If you want to leave for good, delete the account first, then remove the app if you no longer want it installed. Our guide on how to delete apps on iPhone covers uninstalling it. Clearing cache on iPhone can help if the app feels stuck, but that also does not close the account.

Professional or creator accounts

Instagram's deletion article does not list a separate process for professional, business or creator accounts. Use the same Accounts Center path above and choose the correct profile on the Deactivation or deletion screen.

If you only want to drop business or creator tools and keep the profile, switch it back to personal instead. Instagram documents that in How to switch an Instagram professional account to personal. Switching account type is not the same as deleting the profile.

Will deleting Instagram also delete your Facebook?

No. Instagram's deletion flow asks you to choose a specific account or profile in Accounts Center. Selecting your Instagram profile starts deletion for that profile; it does not automatically include Facebook. Double-check the name and profile picture before you confirm, then follow the separate Facebook deletion guide if you also want Facebook gone.

A deceased person's Instagram profile

You should not log into someone else's Instagram account, even to delete it. Instagram says it is against its policies for someone to log into another person's profile, and it will not provide login information for a memorialized profile.

Instead, Instagram offers two official routes, explained in Report a deceased person's profile on Instagram and About memorialized Instagram profiles:

• Memorialization. A friend or family member can request that the profile be memorialized, with proof of death such as a link to an obituary or news article. A memorialized profile shows Remembering next to the person's name, and no one can log into it. Posts the person shared stay visible to the audience they were shared with, and the profile does not appear in certain places, such as Explore. Without a legacy contact, Instagram says the profile cannot be changed.
• Removal. Verified immediate family members may request removal. Instagram says it requires proof that you are an immediate family member, such as the deceased person's birth certificate, death certificate, or proof of authority under local law that you are the lawful representative of the person or their estate. The official removal page includes a form for that request.

To request memorialization, start from Instagram's memorialization request page. If you are planning ahead for your own account, Instagram says you can choose Delete After Death instead of a legacy contact. If that option is selected and Instagram later receives a valid memorialization request, the profile will be deleted. Instagram notes that deletion cannot be undone.

Troubleshooting common problems

Common mistakes to avoid

Slow down at the confirmation screen. These are the mix-ups that cause the most trouble:

• Choosing the wrong profile in Accounts Center. If Facebook or another profile appears in the same list, confirm the name before you tap Delete account.
• Deleting the app instead of the account. Uninstalling Instagram only removes the app. The profile stays live until you finish Accounts Center deletion.
• Requesting deletion before the export is saved. An export link can take up to 30 days, and the finished file is available for only 4 days. After deletion, the export tool is no longer available.
• Assuming Facebook is deleted too. The official flow asks you to choose a specific account or profile.
• Treating the 90-day processing period as extra recovery time. Completing deletion may take up to 90 days, and backup copies may remain after that. That is not additional time to restore the profile.
• Skipping the cancellation notice. The number of days you can cancel varies by region, so screenshot the notice Instagram shows you.
• Asking Instagram to delete an account you cannot access. Instagram says it cannot delete a profile for you. Recover the login first.

Related account and device guides

If you're reviewing other social accounts too, follow the separate guides for deleting Facebook, deleting TikTok, deleting Twitter/X and deleting a Gmail account. Use each platform's own process rather than assuming Instagram's steps apply elsewhere. Streaming apps are separate too: if a shared or old TV is still signed in, see how to log out of Netflix on TV.

On iPhone, you may also want how to delete apps on iPhone after you leave Instagram, or how to clear cache on iPhone if the app still feels stuck before you decide.

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