Threads users can now finally delete their profiles and still retain their Instagram accounts. In a Monday post on Threads, Instagram head Adam Mosseri revealed the new option, a highly requested feature based on feedback from Threads users.
Launched by Meta this past July, the Threads social network has been intertwined with the company’s Instagram platform from the get-go. Your username and password are the same on both networks, which seems fine. But an issue arose when users discovered that they couldn’t remove their Threads profile without also removing their Instagram account.
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Soon after Threads rolled out, Meta realized that this entanglement would be problematic for Instagram users who didn’t want to stick with Threads. Just a day after the launch, Mosseri addressed the issue in a post saying that “Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now it’s just one account, but we’re looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately.” Five months later, the issue has finally been fixed.
Previously, the only way to put the kibosh on your Threads account without impacting Instagram was to deactivate it. Deactivating hides your Threads profile and content, sets it to private mode, and deletes all your individual Threads posts. You can then reactivate your Threads profile should you decide you want to rejoin the platform.
Now the process for deleting an account is simple enough. In the Threads iOS or Android app, tap your profile icon in the bottom toolbar and select the double-line icon at the top right. From there, tap the option for Account and then select Deactivate or Delete Profile. Tap the option at the bottom for Delete Profile. At the next screen, log in to confirm your identity and then tap the button for Delete Threads Profile.
With Threads, Instagram, and Facebook all owned and run by Meta, the company has introduced other features to help people who use all three platforms. You can now more easily see your Threads posts directly on Facebook and Instagram. But if you’d rather keep your Threads content separate, you can now disable the option for your posts to be suggested on Instagram or Facebook.
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Following an initial surge in signups, Threads had seen its user growth and engagement dwindle over the summer. Since then, the number of users has steadily risen and is now estimated at around 140 million.
Amid the ups and downs, the company has been striving to add new features and improve existing ones. Based on the responses to Mosseri’s Monday post, there’s still a laundry list of items people would like to see, including more ways to personalize your profile, date/time stamps for posts, and a hashtag feature.
