Why Did Instagram Delete My Account?

Ivana Kotorchevikj

Written by Ivana Kotorchevikj Social Media / Instagram

Linkedin Published 2 years ago / updated 2 months ago - 6 min read

If you just opened the Instagram app and are trying to log into your account, but can’t get past the login screen, Instagram has probably deleted your account.

In this case, you might wonder, ‘Why did my Instagram account get deleted?’ and if there’s a way to restore it.

Instagram doesn’t openly state the reason why your account was deleted. But there are a few possible explanations for this. Although there’s no way to restore a manually deleted Instagram account, there are several solutions to retrieve your account deleted by Instagram.

Why Instagram deleted my account for no reason

Although it may seem that your Instagram account was deleted for no reason, there are several reasons Instagram might have deleted your account.

• Instagram usually deletes accounts that violate the platform’s community guidelines or terms of service. If an account repeatedly violates Instagram's policy, they will be restricted from accessing their account. Breaking Instagram’s terms and conditions can also lead to Instagram permanently deleting your account. Instagram’s Community Guidelines
• Instagram forbids the use of third-party automation tools or bots that help you grow your following or boost your engagement artificially. If the platform suspects that you used bots to increase your follower numbers or generate more comments on your posts, your account will be disabled.
• Instagram deletes accounts that have been inactive for 1 or 2 years. However, there are instances of accounts being disabled after a few months of being inactive.
• Sometimes, Instagram accounts may be disabled by mistake.

How to restore your deleted Instagram account

If an account was deleted or disabled because it violated Instagram’s terms of service, there’s no way to restore it.

However, if you are sure you didn’t do anything to break their community guidelines, and if your account was only deactivated or disabled.

There are two methods you can retrieve your account disabled by mistake.

1. Fill out the ‘My Instagram account has been deactivated’ form

If you get a pop-up message when trying to log into your Instagram account saying that your account has been disabled for violating Instagram’s terms, follow the steps below to restore it.

1. Tap on the ‘Learn more’ button that appears below the message.

2. In the field ‘Please let us know why you are appealing the decision to permanently delete your account’, explain your reason.

3. Specify whether your account represents a business, product, or service.

4. Enter your personal information in the form: name, username, email address, and phone number.

5. If you have a business account, you will also need to submit valid business documentation to verify it.
6. Click on ‘Send’ to submit the request.

If your account is indeed deleted by mistake, Instagram will send you an email with a reactivation code. You may also be required to reply to the message by sending a photo of yourself holding the code on a piece of paper.

Make sure the code is visible, and the image is of good quality. If you send a blurry image, Instagram could deny your request for reactivation.

After sending the verification image, you should be able to access your account in a few days if Instagram approves your request. You should receive another email notifying you that Instagram has restored your account.

2. Asking Instagram to review their decision

Another way to restore your account is to ask them to review your Instagram activity and reconsider their decision to delete or disable your account.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Instagram app and log into your account.
2. If your account is disabled, you’ll see a message informing you that your account will be deleted, and you have 30 days to send a review request.
3. First, tap on ‘Download Data’ to back up your Instagram data in case Instagram doesn’t restore your account.
4. Then, select ‘Request Review’.
5. Enter the login information of your disabled account.

Instagram will review your request and double-check if you have violated any of their community guidelines. After a few days, Instagram will notify you if they have reversed their decision and decided to restore your account.

If you ever received the message, “We’ve detected suspicious activity on your Instagram account and have temporarily locked it as a security precaution”, check out what to do to fix it.