How to deactivate your social media accounts
Deactivating or deleting a social media account sounds simple, but every platform makes it deliberately confusing, and the steps change frequently. This is a step-by-step guide to deactivating or permanently deleting your accounts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn, including how to download all your data before you leave so you don't lose anything. Whether you want a temporary break or you're ready to delete for good, here's exactly how to do it on each platform. (Last updated: April 2026)
If you grew up on social media or even spent the last decade+ of your life on social media, the idea of just getting rid of your profile is kind of jarring. I’ve been off Instagram for nearly two years, yet I still wrestled with the idea of completely deleting my profile. It felt like burning my memories, trashing my journal, and taking my name out of the phone book in one fell swoop. I lamely had to ask myself, do I really exist to other people if I don’t have a social media profile?
Logically, I knew, of course I do. I live a better, richer, and fuller life offline. Having this realization is what finally pushed me to do the damn thing and delete my profile for good. My personal Instagram no longer exists. But hey, I do!
Maybe you need that push? Here’s your sign: you can do it.
And here’s how.
Some things to caveat before diving in:
Deactivation is temporary. Deletion is permanent.
You can download all of your data from these sites before you delete. You own that.
Social media platforms change these steps often to make it more complicated for you to break up with them. If you notice a step has changed, please comment so I can keep this resource up to date.
Quick links: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter/X | LinkedIn
How to download your data from Instagram
You can download all of your data from Instagram. This includes all of the below:
Photos and videos
Messages
Profile details
Interaction history
Ad activity data
The memories aren’t going anywhere. Those you keep.
To download your Instagram data, follow the below steps:
Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Download your information
Once downloaded, review the data to make sure the important stuff is included.
How to deactivate your Instagram account
When you deactivate your Instagram account, you will no longer show up in search, your posts and comments are no longer visible, and other Instagram users can no longer interact with your account. Your profile is not, however, deleted, and all it takes to reinstate your profile is to log-in again.
Accounts Center → Personal Details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → Select the profile → Deactivate account → Continue
You’ll be asked for your password and to state a reason why you want to deactivate.
There’s a lot of friction to deactivating your profile and very little friction to reactivating your profile (simply logging back in). This is intentional from Meta. They want you back. Which leads to…
How to delete your Instagram account
If you’re ready to truly get rid of your Instagram profile, here is how to delete your Instagram account. When you delete your Instagram account, your profile will no longer exist. There is a 30-day grace period before your username is released and your content is permanently deleted (remember, they want you back). Once that 30 days is up, your profile and your content are gone for good.
Settings → Accounts Center → Personal Details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → Select the profile → Delete account → Continue
You can cancel the deletion by simply logging in again during the 30-day grace period. During those 30-days it’s as if your profile has been deactivated.
How to download your data from Facebook
You can download all of your data from Facebook. This includes all of the below:
Photos and videos
Messages
Profile details
Interaction history
Ad activity data
Been on Facebook since high school? You can still go down memory lane without keeping your profile live.
To download your Facebook, follow the below steps:
Settings and privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Export your information → Create export
Once downloaded, review the data to make sure the important stuff is included.
How to deactivate your Facebook account
When you deactivate your Facebook account, you will no longer show up in search, your posts and comments are no longer visible, and other Facebook users can no longer interact with your account. Your profile is not deleted, and all it takes to reinstate your profile is to log-in again.
Settings and privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Manage accounts → Manage → Deactivation or deletion → Deactivate account → Continue
You’ll be asked for your password and to state a reason why you want to deactivate.
As with Instagram, there’s a lot of friction to deactivate your profile, but to reinstate your Facebook account, you simply need to log in again.
How to delete your Facebook account
If you’re ready to truly get rid of your Facebook profile, here is how to delete your Facebook account. When you delete your Facebook account, your profile will no longer exists and you can no longer access Messenger. There is a 30-day grace period before your username is released and your content is permanently deleted (remember, they want you back). Once that 30 days is up, your profile and your content are gone for good.
Settings and privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Manage accounts → Manage → Deactivation or deletion → Delete account → Continue
Facebook will walk you through what happens when you delete your account. If you haven’t downloaded your data yet, they give you another opportunity here to export everything. They also tempt you into deactivating instead.
You’ll enter your password and trigger the 30-day grace period. During this grace period, you can log-in to your account to cancel the deletion process.
TikTok
How to download your data from TikTok
You can download all of your data from TikTok. TikTok is unclear what this includes, but at bare minimum will have the content you created.
To download your TikTok, follow the below steps:
Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Account → Download your data → Choose which info and file format → Request data
The data may take a couple days to be ready. Once it is, you’ll be notified. Then, follow the below steps:
Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Account → Download your data → Download data → Download
You must download the data with 4 days or you’ll need to start the process again.
Once downloaded, review the data to make sure the important stuff is included.
How to deactivate your TikTok account
When you deactivate your TikTok account, you will no longer show up in search, your profile will no longer be visible, and no one will see your content. DMs you sent may remain visible and Duets or Stitches associated with your videos may be visible to others. Your profile is not deleted, and all it takes to reinstate your profile is to log-in again and tap Reactivate.
Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Account → Deactivation or deletion → Deactivate → Follow instructions to deactivate your TikTok
How to delete your TikTok account
If you’re ready to truly get rid of your TikTok profile, here is how to delete your TikTok account. When you delete your TikTok account, your profile will no longer exists. There is a 30-day grace period before your username is released and your content is permanently deleted. Once that 30 days is up, your profile and your content are gone for good.
Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Account → Deactivation or deletion → Delete → Follow instructions to delete your TikTok
Twitter/X
How to download your data from Twitter/X
You can download all of your data from Twitter/X. This includes all of the below:
Account and account history
Profile details
Account activity
Interests and ads data
Archive of your posts
To download your Twitter/X data, follow the below steps:
Your Account → Download an archive of your data → Enter your password → Confirm → Send code to verify identity → Enter code → Request data
Once the data is ready for download, you’ll receive an email. Click the download button in the email.
Once downloaded, review the data to make sure the important stuff is included.
How to deactivate your Twitter/X account
Twitter/X does deactivation/deletion differently than the other big social media profiles. Deactivation is the first step to deletion. If you do not reactivate your account within 30 days, it will be permanently deleted.
So, if you choose to deactivate your Twitter/X profile, and you want to return, be sure you mark the date and set a reminder to reactivate.
When you deactivate your profile, your username and profile will not be accessible on X.com.
Settings and Privacy → Your account → Deactivate your account → Deactivate → Enter your password
How to delete your Twitter/X account
If you’re ready to truly get rid of your Twitter/X profile, here is how to delete your Twitter/X account. As outlined above, deactivation is the first step to deleting your Twitter/X account.
Follow the below steps, then there is a 30-day grace period. If you do not log-in during those 30 days, your account will be deleted.
Settings and Privacy → Your account → Deactivate your account → Deactivate → Enter your password
How to download your data from LinkedIn
You can download all of your data from LinkedIn. This includes all of the below:
Full profile details
Post history
Message history
Interaction history
Ad activity data and more
Personally, I had zero interest in reliving my LinkedIn posts, but I get it! That’s your work! It’s hard to put it behind you.
To download your LinkedIn information, follow the below steps:
Me → Settings & Privacy → Data privacy → How LinkedIn Uses your Data → Get a copy of your data → Request archive → Select which categories you’d like to download
Your data will then be emailed to you. Some data will be available in minutes, some takes up to 48 hours. You must download the files within 72 hours or you’ll need to restart the process.
How to deactivate your LinkedIn account:
LinkedIn calls deactivation “hibernation.” You can hibernate your profile to temporarily disable it.
Me → Settings & Privacy → Account preferences →Account management → Hibernate account → Share why you’re hibernating your account → Hibernate your account
If you use one of LinkedIn’s premium recruiting features or something similar, you may have additional actions you need to perform before your account is hibernated. LinkedIn will walk you through these steps.
If you have a premium subscription plan, your account will be automatically cancelled, unless you purchased it through the Apple store, in which case you’ll need to cancel it through them.
LinkedIn will not let you reactivate in the first 24 hours, but after the one-day, you’ll simply log back in if you want to reactive your profile.
How to delete your LinkedIn account
If you’re ready to truly get rid of your LinkedIn profile, here is how to delete your LinkedIn account. When you delete your LinkedIn account, your profile no longer exists, all of your recommendations and endorsements are deleted, and you will not be found in search.
Me → Settings & Privacy → Account preferences → Account management → Close account → Change → Share why you’re hibernating your account → Next → Enter password → Close account
LinkedIn does not have the same 30-day grace period that the other social media platforms have. In most cases, if your LinkedIn account has been closed for less than 14 days, you can reinstate your account, however you will not be able to recover endorsements and recommendations, ignored or pending invitations, followings, and group memberships.
If you have a premium subscription plan, your account will be automatically cancelled, unless you purchased it through the Apple store, in which case you’ll need to cancel it through them.
Bonus: What to do with all that social media data you just downloaded?
Here’s my advice:
Go through the data immediately. Don’t let it just sit there. You can sort through what you want to keep and what you don’t. You can also ensure you have everything you need.
Decide where you want to store the data. Will it live on a Cloud account or will you put it on a backup drive somewhere? Do this promptly so you don’t forget about it.
Turn any pictures into a physical album or simply print them out. Companies like Shutterfly, Mixbook, Artifact Uprising, etc. all offer different types of photo albums and often with the ability to add captions. Make your own physical feed of your time online. If you want to look back fondly on those memories, you just have to pick up the book and take a trip down memory lane. No scrolling required.
I want this to be a living document you can always refer to. What should I add? Reddit? Substack? YouTube? Let me know in the comments. I hope this is helpful to you!
