Now the new year has rolled around, people will have made a number of New Year’s resolutions. One of the most popular is spending less time on social media. If you’re considering taking a detox for a few weeks or maybe even longer, you’ll want to know how to temporarily deactivate your Instagram profile.
When January comes around, lots of us decide that it’s time to make a change. Be it because a new year seems like a significant time, or you’ve just had enough. One thing a lot of us can agree on is that we spend too much time on social media, with Instagram being a huge culprit.
Catching up on the latest with friends and celebrities definitely isn’t a bad thing. It’s when you realise how often you’re reaching for your phone, or just how long you’ve been scrolling for that you think ‘maybe I should do this less.’
If you don’t want to give it up completely, but need a bigger commitment than just saying ‘I won’t go on it,’ then temporarily deactivating your Instagram profile may be what you’re after.
What Does It Mean To Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account?
To temporarily disable your account means that your account will essentially be hidden until you log back in. Your profile, posts, comments and likes will be hidden from your followers and anyone who goes to look you up. Basically, it will look as if you have permanently deleted your account.
You will need to know your login information to reactivate your account, so if you don’t know it, it’s probably best you don’t deactivate it.
How To Temporarily Deactivate Your Account Profile
According to the Instagram Help Centre, temporarily deactivating your account is actually really easy. However, you can only do it from a computer, the internet browser on your phone, or the iPhone app.
It is also worth noting that you can only temporarily disable your account once a week. So, if you are ready to make the commitment, you can’t go breaking your resolution more than once a week.
Log in to your account and head to your profile. Then, click edit profile. Scroll down until you see ‘temporarily deactivate my account’ which will be in the bottom right.
There will then be a drop-down menu to pick the reason why you want to temporarily disable your account. You’ll then be prompted to re-enter your Instagram password. It will only be after these two entries that you will be able to temporarily deactivate your account. This will pop up with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option, the latter will cancel your deactivation.
If that’s not enough, you can find the steps to permanently delete your account here.
Whether it’s a resolution or you just need a break, there’s no pressure to return to your account by temporarily disabling Instagram. If you’re back quicker than you would like, then don’t be too hard on yourself. We all know how addictive social media can be!