Instagram is one of the most popular and one of the most addictive social networking sites, so if you want to ease your Instagram habits, you can always delete or deactivate your account on it.

The difference between the two options is that deleting an Instagram account is permanent, while deactivating it is a temporary measure and allows you to restore your account later.

To delete or deactivate your Instagram account you will need to use your desktop web browser or the web browser on your smartphone, you cannot do this through the mobile app.

Here are the steps that enable you to do both

permanently delete instagram account

1. On a desktop or mobile web browser, go to the Instagram website and log in to your account using your username and password.

2. Once logged in, go to the account deletion page.

3. From the dropdown menu at the top of the screen, choose the reason for deleting your account.

4. Once you choose the reason for deletion you will be asked to re-enter your password, do so, then click the blue Delete Account Name button.

You will have to explain why you deleted your Instagram account.

Instagram notes that it will take a month to completely erase your data, until then your account will be hidden from view to users.

Temporarily cancel your Instagram account

You can temporarily disable your Instagram account if you hesitate to delete it permanently and if you think you might want to recover it later. This action will hide your account from Instagram users, but it allows you to restore it whenever you want.

1. Log in to your Instagram account on the web and go to your profile page, then click Edit Profile at the top of the page.

2. At the bottom of the page that opens, select "Temporarily disable my account" as shown in the image below.

3. Select a reason to disable your account, and re-enter your password as shown in the image.

4. Click Temporarily Disable Account.

To reactivate your account in the future, simply log back into the Instagram app with your username and password.