How to Temporarily Disable an Instagram Account

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: July 4, 2022 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to temporarily disable your Instagram account which prevents others from viewing or searching your profile and posts without having to delete your account. This prevents someone else from claiming your username and there is no need to back up your pictures or videos as they will be saved privately for when you decide to restore your account. You cannot temporarily disable your Instagram account from within the Instagram app.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Temporarily Disabling Your Account

1
Go to the Instagram website. It's located at https://www.instagram.com/. If you're already logged into Instagram, this will take you to your Instagram home page.
- If you aren't logged in, click Log in at the bottom of the page, enter your username and password, and click Log in.
2
Click the profile icon. This is the person-shaped icon in the top-right corner of the page.

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3
Click Edit Profile. It's just right of your username at the top of your page.
4
Scroll down and click Temporarily disable my account. You'll see this link on the right side of the bottom of the "Edit Profile" page.
5
Indicate a reason for disabling your account. To do so, click the box to the right of the "Why are you disabling your account?" heading and then click a reason.
6
Enter your Instagram password. You'll do this in the box to the right of the "To continue, please re-enter your password" text.
7
Click Temporarily Disable Account. This button is at the bottom of the page.
8
Click OK when prompted. Doing so will disable your account, signing you out of Instagram on all of your linked devices.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Restoring Your Account

1
Log in to Instagram. Log in to Instagram using your username and password and your account will be reactivated just as it was before. If you logged in on Instagram's website, you will still need to log in to each of your devices.

Community Q&A

Question

What will happen when I disable my Instagram account?

Community Answer

Nobody can search you, but your username is still taken by you. It is possible to reactivate at any time.
Question

Why does Instagram say "no user found" when I try to log back in after deactivating my account?

Community Answer

It is likely your account was deactivated so long it was deleted.
Question

How do I re-enable that account?

Community Answer

You simply attempt to log into that account again, but only after it's been disabled for 24 hours.

Warnings

Although your account will immediately cease to be discoverable by your friends and other followers, archived posts may still appear on Google searches. These can take several weeks to disappear.

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