Disable or Delete your Instagram: What’s the difference?

There are two different ways to take your Instagram profile offline, and it’s important to know the distinction between them.

The first is to disable your Instagram account, which is a temporary measure. When you disable your account, your profile, photos, comments and likes will all be hidden. However, when you log back in, all of that information will be reactivated.

The second way is to delete your Instagram account, which is a permanent measure. When you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed.


Once you’ve deleted your account, you won’t be able to sign up again with the same username, or add the same username to another account. It’s also impossible to reactivate a deleted account.
If you’re considering deleting your account, think very carefully before doing so. We’d recommend trialling it by temporarily disabling the account first, to see if it’s what you really want.
Don’t forget that you can also set your profile to private if you only want current followers to be able to view your profile. Alternatively, you can block individual users if you want to prevent specific individuals from being able to view your profile.

How to temporarily disable Instagram account

To temporarily disable your Instagram account, follow these steps:
1. Log into your account on a mobile browser or computer. You can’t disable your account from within the Instagram app.
2. Tap or click the user icon in the top right, then select Edit Profile
3. Scroll down, then tap or click ‘Temporarily disable my account’ on the bottom right of the page
4. Enter the drop-down menu next to ‘Why are you disabling your account?’ and choose an option
5. Re-enter your password when prompted
6. Tap or click ‘Temporarily Disable Account'