You can now delete Threads while keeping your Instagram profile

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If you’re a Threads user, Instagram’s new microblogging app, you might appreciate the latest update that’s rolling out.

Meta is introducing a feature that allows you to delete your Threads account without saying goodbye to your Instagram profile.

This change addresses a significant user pain point—previously, deleting Threads also meant losing your Instagram account.

How to delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram

To delete your Threads account, head to your profile, hit the menu in the top right corner, and navigate to Privacy > Suggesting posts on other apps.

From there, you can toggle off Instagram and Facebook individually, ensuring your Threads posts stay put.

This development is part of a broader effort by Meta to give users more control over their accounts. As reported by Petapixel, Meta faced technical challenges in separating the two services due to Threads’ reliance on Instagram’s infrastructure.

However, they’ve made strides to overcome these issues, and by December 2023, users will be able to manage their Threads and Instagram accounts independently.

Additional details uncovered by developer Alessandro Paluzzi and shared by Engadget suggest that after deleting your Threads account, your data will be purged after 30 days.

Plus, if you change your mind, you won’t be able to re-register a new Threads account with the same Instagram handle for 120 days.

Meta’s chief privacy officer, Michel Protti, confirmed during a TechCrunch event that the separate deletion feature is indeed in the works, as detailed by TechCrunch.

While this update may not revolutionize how we use social media, it’s a step towards a more user-centric approach, allowing users to tailor their online experience to their preferences.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Threads is rolling out its new “Edit” button (and for free!)
• Threads gets 3 much-needed features added
• Meta’s new Twitter clone, Threads, is now out in the wild
• Instagram’s Twitter clone, Threads, is available to download again

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.