Tired of the endless scrolling? Wanting to reduce your digital footprint? Whatever your reason, you can follow these steps to learn how to delete your Instagram account in 2021.
The past few years have established Instagram as one of, if not the most, popular platforms on all of social media. The app is a great place for users to stay connected with those around them and share different parts of their lives. Since its launch in 2010, however, the site has become much more than just a place to see what your friends have been up to.
Like many other forms of social media, Instagram is now heavily invested in getting you to spend as much time on the app as possible. In the past several years they’ve expanded the platform to contain features such as reels, shopping, and an improved explore page. And while each of these features may improve your experience while on the app, they also certainly encourage more mindless scrolling. Not to mention they increase your digital footprint as Instagram is constantly tracking your activity with their algorithms. A major component in convincing users to spend time on the app is to show them content specifically curated for them. And while that may be convenient, it’s undeniably creepy to be inundated with posts similar to one you just viewed. So, if it’s consuming too much or your digital time and energy, follow our tips on how to delete Instagram in 2021.
Disabling or deleting Instagram
An important first step is deciding whether you want to temporarily disable or permanently delete your Instagram account. Maybe you have a big test or job interview to prepare for and need help focusing. Or perhaps you simply want to do a digital detox for a few weeks and need a break! Regardless of your motivation, there’s a simple way to put your Instagram account on hold rather than delete it entirely. Keep in mind that if you do temporarily disable your account, none of its content or activity will be viewable to you or other users. This means that your profile, posts, comments, and likes will all be hidden while your account is disabled.
- Log in to your Instagram account on your mobile device or web browser
- Click the circular icon with your profile photo at the top right of the page
- Select Settings
- Click Temporarily disable my account at the bottom of the page
- Follow the instructions and enter your password to temporarily disable your account
How to delete an Instagram account in 2021
So, what if simply pausing your account isn’t enough? Perhaps you’re practicing digital hygiene and want to clean up your online presence. Or maybe you’re tired of Instagram tracking your activity and want to take back control of your digital privacy. If you want to rid the web of your Instagram account, then you’ll need to permanently delete it.
In what seems to be a desperate attempt to discourage users from deleting the app, Instagram forces users to log-on to a web browser if they want to permanently delete their account. Seems odd considering the vast majority of users access the app on their smartphones right? Well, it’s just another example of social media platforms doing what they can to keep you in their clutches! It’s important to note that if you want any of the content from your profile (photos, videos, etc.) they’ll need to be saved elsewhere before you delete your account. If you delete without saving, you won’t be able to access that content again through Instagram.
Now, if you’re ready to escape, just follow these simple steps on how to delete your Instagram account for good:
- Log in to your Instagram account on a web browser
- Visit https://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/
- Select the reason you want to delete your account and click Permanently Delete My Account
Practicing digital hygiene
If you’re looking to reduce your digital footprint and in the process improve your online privacy, getting rid of social media is an excellent way to start. In 2021, most social media platforms are a major threat to your data privacy. They require lots of personal information from you to sign up and they constantly track you for marketing purposes. Deleting your social media accounts is a difficult choice to make as so many of us use them on a regular basis, but if you care about your digital privacy, it may be the right thing to do. And if you truly want to browse the web worry-free, it may be wise to consider scrubbing your info from the internet entirely.
The internet is such a prevalent part of our lives that we are often okay with surrendering our privacy. But you don’t have to do that! You can have both. And you can do this with the help of a service like Privacy Bee. Privacy Bee not only works with you to scrub your data from sites you choose not to trust, it also constantly monitors for threats to your privacy. It takes effort to keep yourself and your family safe from the dangers of the web, but you can let Privacy Bee do the heavy lifting for you!
