Deleting Instagram is permanent, so it's worth getting right the first time: the correct menu, what to back up first, and how long you actually have to change your mind. Here's the full process as of late 2026, on the iPhone and Android app and on the web.
Quick answer: open Accounts Center (profile → menu → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion), choose your account, select Delete account, give a reason, and confirm with your password. Instagram gives you a 30-day grace period — log back in during that window and the deletion cancels itself. If what's actually bothering you is Reels and Explore rather than Instagram itself, there's a way to keep your account and lose just the feed; see the comparison below before you go further.
Before you delete: is it the account, or just the scrolling?
A lot of people search "how do you delete an Instagram account" because Reels and Explore have taken over their evenings, not because they actually want to lose their DMs, their followers or the photos they've posted. Those are two different problems, and they have two different fixes. If you only want distance, taking a break from Instagram without deleting it comes first.
If you genuinely don't need Instagram for anything — no messages worth keeping, nobody you'd miss — deleting is the clean, complete answer, and the rest of this guide walks you through it. But if the real complaint is the feed, not the app, you can keep your account, your DMs and the people you follow, and just remove Reels and Explore: Stillfeed is a free in-app browser for iPhone that opens the real Instagram, signed into your own account, with Reels and Explore hidden and your Following feed shown first. See the honest trade-offs in Stillfeed vs deleting Instagram before you commit to the permanent option.
Download your data first
Do this before you start the deletion process — once an account is gone, it's gone. From Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Export your information, choose your Instagram account, pick a date range and format (HTML or JSON), and start the export. Instagram emails you a download link, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on how much there is, and the link expires after a few days, so download it as soon as it arrives.
Delete your account on iPhone or Android
As of late 2026, deletion is handled through Accounts Center, which is reachable from inside the app:
- Tap your profile picture, then the menu (three lines) in the top corner.
- Tap Accounts Center, then Personal details.
- Tap Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.
- Select the Instagram account you want to remove.
- Choose Delete account and tap Continue.
- Pick a reason from the list Instagram gives you, and continue.
- Enter your password to confirm, then tap Delete account.
If you have a Threads account linked to the same login, deleting Instagram deletes that too — Instagram will tell you this on the confirmation screen before you finish.
Delete your account on the web
The browser flow uses the same Accounts Center menu, and is also the fallback if the in-app option isn't showing up for you yet:
- Go to instagram.com and log in.
- Click your profile picture, then Settings, then Accounts Center.
- Click Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion.
- Choose your account, select Delete account, and follow the prompts, re-entering your password to confirm.
Instagram also keeps a direct, older removal page at instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/, which works the same way: log in, choose a reason, re-enter your password, and confirm.
The 30-day grace period, and how to cancel
Deletion isn't instant. Your profile is hidden from everyone else right away, but your account sits in a 30-day grace period (this can run longer in some regions) before it's actually erased. If you change your mind, simply log back in during those 30 days and the deletion is cancelled — there's no separate button for it. After the 30 days pass, the account becomes permanently unrecoverable, and full removal from Instagram's backups can take up to roughly 90 days after that.
One practical catch: logging in accidentally cancels the deletion too. If you've got Instagram signed in on another phone, a tablet, or a third-party app, opening it during the grace period can undo the request without you meaning to — sign out everywhere first if you want the deletion to actually complete.
What actually gets deleted — and what doesn't
- Gone for good: your profile, posts, Reels, Stories, comments, likes and follower/following lists, once the grace period ends.
- Your username becomes available for someone else to claim, though not necessarily right away.
- Messages you sent are not pulled from other people's inboxes. Deleting your account removes your side, but a DM you sent someone stays in their chat unless you unsend it first, message by message.
- Backup copies can persist briefly for legal, safety or disaster-recovery reasons even after the account is gone, and aggregated, de-identified data may remain in Meta's systems.
- You can't sign up again with the same username or the same account once it's fully deleted.
Not ready to delete? Deactivate instead
If any part of you isn't sure, deactivating is the safer move: it hides your profile the same way deletion's grace period does, but nothing is scheduled for removal, and there's no 30-day clock. We cover the exact steps, the limit on how often you can do it, and how it compares to deleting in Deactivate vs delete Instagram.
Common questions
How do you delete an Instagram account permanently?
Go to Accounts Center (from the app or instagram.com) → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion, choose your account, select Delete account, pick a reason, and confirm with your password. Your account is hidden immediately and permanently erased after a 30-day grace period.
Can I delete my Instagram account from the app, or do I need a browser?
As of late 2026, deletion is available through Accounts Center directly in the iPhone and Android app. If you don't see it there, the browser method at instagram.com works the same way and has been available for longer.
How long does it take to delete an Instagram account?
Your profile disappears from view immediately, but Instagram holds the account in a 30-day grace period before permanently deleting it, and full removal from backups can take up to roughly 90 days after that.
Can I get my Instagram account back after deleting it?
Only during the 30-day grace period — log back in and the deletion is cancelled. After that window closes, the account and its data can't be recovered.
Does deleting Instagram also delete my Threads account?
Yes, if the two are linked under the same login. Instagram shows this on the confirmation screen before you finish deleting.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center, Delete your account.
- Instagram Help Center, Deactivate or delete your account.
If Reels and Explore are the real reason you searched this, you don't have to give up your account, your DMs or your followers to get away from them — Stillfeed removes them for free, and our full comparison walks through which choice actually fits you.
