How to delete your Threads account without leaving Instagram

Threads by Instagram launched earlier this year as a worthy rival to popular micro-blogging platform Twitter (now X). While the latter underwent a series of troublesome changes under Elon Musk, Threads presented itself as a viable, more stable alternative to the platform.

Threads was also deeply connected to Instagram, to facilitate quicker connections. Everyone you followed on Instagram, you could also follow on Threads in one tap. However, this close-knit relationship with Instagram also had a disadvantage – Threads users couldn’t delete their account without also quitting Instagram in the process.

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Thankfully, a new update now fixes that, and you can now deactivate or delete your Threads profile without it affecting your Instagram profile. Here’s how to do it.

How to deactivate/delete Threads without leaving Instagram

Begin with updating your Threads app to the latest version on your smartphones. The new feature is only available on the latest version of the Threads app on iOS and Android, so head to the Play Store or App Store to make sure your app is updated.

Once you’re on the latest version, open the app and log in if you aren’t logged in already. Navigate to Settings -> Account -> Delete to delete your profile. You should also see a ‘deactivate’ option which can be useful if you don’t want a permanent deletion and are only looking to temporarily deactivate your account.

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While deactivated, you won’t be able to use Threads with that account and other users will not be able to see the account on the platform either. If you choose to deactivate your account, your data will be archived and whenever you log-in to the account again, the data will still be there.

If you don’t see the option

Note that the new option to delete and deactivate your accounts is being rolled out in phases. This means that not all users will get the update at once. So, if you don’t see the option to delete or deactivate your Threads account in the settings even after updating to the latest version, do not panic. Be patient and give the app another day, and the option should be there.