How To Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account on iPhone (All Models | 2025)

How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account on iPhone

Alright, I’ve been there — deciding to say goodbye to Instagram for good can feel surprisingly complicated, especially on iPhone or iPad. The thing is, it’s not just a matter of tapping ‘delete’; the process is tucked away in weird corners of the app, and if you’ve never been there before, it can seem confusing or even frustrating. Here’s what finally worked for me, after some trial, error, and a few late nights trying to figure out the exact steps without messing up my account or losing data.

Opening the Instagram App

First, you gotta get into the app itself. Seems obvious, but sometimes I’d open it, swipe around, and wonder where the settings went. If you’re on your iPhone, tap the app icon — I recommend ensuring it’s updated, in case Instagram recently changed the UI. Sometimes it’s worth restarting the app or even the phone if things look weird or options are missing. This is especially true if you’re not seeing the ‘Settings’ or account options where they’re supposed to be. Getting to the right menu is half the battle, especially with how sneaky Instagram can be about hiding deletion options behind layers of menus.

Accessing Your Profile and Menu

Once in, you want to tap on your profile picture—that little icon at the bottom right—then look for that hamburger menu with three horizontal lines at the top right. Tapping that opens more options, but this isn’t the end. Sometimes, depending on your app version or if you’re running an older IOS, menu labels can pop up differently. After tapping those lines, look for ‘Settings’ or ‘Account.’ If you don’t see it right away, try scrolling down or switching tabs. Occasionally, you might find it under ‘Privacy & Security’ or ‘Account Management.’ Having done this multiple times, I can tell you that the menu setup isn’t always consistent, so be ready for some digging.

Navigating to Account Center & Personal Details

Inside Settings, keep an eye out for a section called ‘Account Center’ — this is where Instagram seems to consolidate account controls. But beware, it might be called slightly differently depending on updates—you might see ‘Account’ or ‘Privacy & Security’ first. It’s basically a maze: you go through these menus until you find ‘Personal Details’ or similar. That’s where they keep info such as your email, phone number, and options related to account control. Finding this is crucial because it’s where you get access to the final deletion buttons.

Finding ‘Ownership and Control’ Options

Scroll down farther, and you’ll hit ‘Account Ownership and Control’ or a similarly named section. That’s the real meat—this is where you can choose to deactivate or delete your account. Deactivation is temporary—you can come back, but deletion is permanent. Sometimes this is tucked under ‘Account Management,’ or under a sub-menu labeled ‘Security’ or ‘Advanced Settings.’ I got lost on my older ASUS when it was buried in Advanced settings, so don’t be shy about tapping around until you see what looks like account deletion options. Again, pay close attention: once you delete, everything — photos, videos, comments — is gone forever, and your username might get recycled later, so consider deactivating if you’re unsure.

Selecting the Deletion Option

Once you find ‘Delete Account,’ tap it. The warning should be pretty clear: this action is irreversible. I can’t emphasize enough how easy it is to overlook that, especially if you’re rushing. If you’re not seeing ‘Delete Account’ straight away, it might be behind a ‘Manage Account’ link or within a menu labeled ‘Help’ or ‘Support.’ Sometimes, Instagram makes the deletion process seem like a secret handshake—you get a prompt with a reason for leaving, and it’s usually good to pick one, just so you’re aware, they track this stuff for feedback. But the main point: once you confirm, it’s gone, no turning back.

Confirming the Deletion

Next, they’ll ask if you want to download your data — and this is actually important. Before you pull the trigger, consider downloading all your pictures, comments, DMs, whatever you want to keep. You can do this in Settings > Privacy & Security > Download Data or directly via this link: https://www.instagram.com/download/request/. I recommend doing it at least a day ahead, because it can take hours or even a couple of days for Instagram to prepare the archive. They’ll email you a link—just watch your inbox.

Verifying Your Identity with Password

When you’re ready to finalize, Instagram will ask for your password—important security step! If, like me, you’re used to staying logged in, this step sometimes feels like an extra hassle, but it’s there to stop sneaky people from deleting your account without permission. Type your password carefully—sometimes the prompt doesn’t show up right away, and that can be confusing—and then tap ‘Continue.’

Finalizing the Deletion

After you hit ‘Continue,’ the app will handle the request. Sometimes it’s instant, other times it can take a few moments. If things seem stuck, try closing the app and reopening it; sometimes rebooting your iPhone helps. You might see a message saying, “Your account will be deleted within 30 days,” or similar. During that window, you can log back in and cancel the deletion if you change your mind—so don’t panic if it’s not immediate. If you successfully get through all these steps, your account is scheduled for deletion, and all your data will be gone after the grace period.

One last tip: Download Data & Backup

Again, seriously, don’t forget to grab your data before deleting. And if you’re super paranoid, you can even transfer stuff to another platform or storage ahead of time. Just make sure you’ve got everything you want saved, because once gone, it’s gone—indefinitely. Usually, I do this a day before, just to be safe. And remember—your username will be released after delete, but global recycling might happen if you’re quick to come back. Better to think of it as a permanent goodbye unless you plan to deactivate instead.

Wrapping it up—be sure before hitting delete!

Honestly, this process is a bit of a treasure hunt—it took me way longer than expected to find all the right menus, and I kept guessing whether I was doing it “right.” The interface keeps changing, and some options are hidden or labeled differently depending on updates. So my best advice—double-check you downloaded your data, be sure about deleting, and keep your password safe. If anyone else’s been stuck trying to figure this out, hope this walkthrough helps — it took way too long for me to get it right, so maybe this saves someone else a weekend. Good luck!