How To Reset Your Instagram Account With Easy Steps

Learn how to reset your username, password or a complete Instgram accounn resetting.

By Amily Smith Last updated Jul 10, 2024

Instagram has grown to be a very popular and essential social media app due to its simple photo and video sharing features. But there might come a time when you decide to stop using the app or you need to figure out how to get access back.

You may be looking for a way to change your username, password, email address, or phone number when you want to reset something on your Instagram account. You may also be looking for a way to reset your entire account, which would delete all of your previous posts, likes, and followers.

Whatever brought you here, this article covers everything from fixing your login information to clearing the slate. You can reset your Instagram account in a number of ways.

This article will teach you how to deal with the difficult aspects of resetting your Instagram account. So stay tuned to find out how.

How to Reset Your Instagram Password Using Facebook, Email, Phone, or Username

Since forgetting your password is one of the most frequent problems Instagram users encounter, let’s start by looking at how to do it. You have a few options if you can’t sign in to Instagram and are locked out of your account.

If you’ve connected your Facebook and Instagram accounts, try first logging in using your Facebook profile. You might only need to use Facebook to log in to your account in order to update and change your password. To change your password, adhere to these steps:

Launch Instagram and tap on Forgot password? on iOS or Get help logging in on Android.
You’ll have three options: Username (also includes email), Phone, and Log In With Facebook.

If you know your Facebook login and it’s connected to your Instagram, select Continue as… at the bottom.

If you don’t know your Facebook login, enter your Instagram username, email, or phone. You MUST have one of those credentials. An email gets sent to the address you have on file with a link to reset your password.

If you don’t get a link to reset your password, your account may have been compromised, and the hacker might have changed the data in it to prevent you from getting access again. You might also forget the username, email address, or phone number you initially used for the account.

If this is the case, don’t worry–there’s another option.

How to Reset Your Instagram Password without a Username, Email, or Password

Open the Instagram app.

Tap on Get help logging in. for Android or Forgot Password? on iOS.
Tap on Need more help?

Fill out the information on the screen, then tap on Request Support.

Give as much information as you can when filling out the form. Instagram is more likely to decide to grant you access again if you can persuade them that you are the rightful owner of the account. Include any additional information the security team might require in order for them to make an informed choice.

But be aware that this might not be successful. When Instagram receives a request for additional help logging in, they must err on the side of caution because they work hard to ensure that users cannot access accounts they do not own. You might not be able to log back into your account if you are unable to demonstrate that you are the true owner of the account.

How to Delete All Your Instagram Photos to Reset Your Instagram Account

Delete all of your Instagram posts and photos as another way to reset your account. You can keep your current account and start fresh with new posts and images in this manner. Here, things start to become a little bit trickier. Instagram should ideally enable bulk deletion of posts and images. Sadly, this isn’t the case at all. In addition to omitting the ability to delete all of your posts at once, Instagram makes it more challenging to use third-party services to the point where none are currently available in 2022.

Use Third-Party Applications to Delete All Instagram Photos

There was a time when you could look up Instagram cleaners on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store and find a number of trustworthy programs. However, a lot of reliable options vanished in September 2021. There are no bulk-delete apps for Instagram on either platform as of April 2022.

Archive Your Old Instagram Posts to Reset Your Instagram Account

Before you go crazy deleting everything, know that you can easily archive old pictures. Archiving means that no one can see them except you. Essentially, this allows you to hide photos without actually getting rid of them.

To archive a photo, follow these steps:

Open the photo you want to archive.
Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
Tap Archive.

Go to your profile and click the three horizontal lines to access archived photos. Choose Archive from the menu. There, you can browse through all of your earlier stories and photos. To switch between your Stories, posts, and Live content, tap the Archived Stories option at the top of the page.

How to Delete Your Account and Open it Again

If you’re going to dive in headfirst and delete your entire IG account, you can do that from within the app itself. Note that following the instructions below will permanently remove all of your comments and likes, as well as reset your follower account to zero.

You can delete your entire Instagram account from within the app if that’s what you want to do. Keep in mind that if you follow the instructions, all of your comments and likes will be permanently deleted, and your follower count will be reset to 0.

Still interested? Start by deleting your Instagram account.

Go to the special Delete Your Account page on your mobile device or desktop.

Select a reason for deletion from the dropdown menu.

Re-enter your account password.

Click or tap Permanently delete my account.

Note: If you choose this method, you will need to wait 14 days to reuse your username.

You can now create a new account with the same username unless someone got to your username in the interim. Once you have your new account, it will be like a brand new account. Sometimes a fresh start is just what the doctor ordered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reactivate My Instagram Account?

By using the same login information, you can reactivate an account that has been temporarily disabled. You cannot reactivate your account once it has been permanently deactivated. If there were problems and your account was deleted by a hacker or Instagram, get more assistance by contacting the Instagram Support Team.

Can I create a new account with the same login info?

“After your account is deleted, you can sign up again with the same username or add that username to another account as long as it hasn’t been taken by a new person on Instagram,” the official Instagram account deletion page states as of April 2022.

Many websites will claim that you can’t, but the link provided above demonstrates that this is untrue. Simply select “How do I delete my Instagram account?” from the dropdown menu.

Why am I locked out of my Instagram account?

There are several reasons why your account is inaccessible, including the message that the password is incorrect or that Instagram has disabled your account. Contact Instagram Support if you’ve tried the steps above and still can’t log into your account. Additionally, look for any emails from Instagram. This could help you determine whether you’ve broken any community rules or whether your account has been hacked.

If I delete my Facebook account, how do I access Instagram?

You must delink the accounts on Instagram before deactivating your Facebook account if you decide to delete your Facebook account but use it to log in to Instagram. Go to Settings on Instagram, select Account, and then tap on Linked Accounts to accomplish this. A new username and password should be created before you safely delete your Facebook account.

Can I delete all of my Instagram posts at once?

You cannot delete all Instagram posts in bulk. Third-party apps were once available, but both Android and iOS no longer support them. Unless you want to filter posts and delete each one separately, your only real option is to delete your account.

Conclusion

Unless someone else used your username in the interim, you are now able to create a new account with the same username. Your new account will be just like a brand-new account once you have it. A new beginning is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered.