Instagram is a popular social media platform that keeps its users active and engaged for an extended period.
To maintain such user activity, Instagram applies a policy to delete all inactive accounts that fit specific criteria.
So, you must follow specific rules and regulations to use your Instagram profile; otherwise, you might lose your precious account.
Don’t worry; this question is also bugging me a few days back, and after a few hours of searching, I found out why Instagram deletes inactive accounts. In this article, I will explain how you can avoid this issue and restore your content.
So, let’s get started.
Does Instagram Delete Inactive Accounts?
Yes, Instagram will delete inactive accounts if the account is idle for specific periods of time. If you are an Instagram user and do not log into your account for particular periods of time, your account will be deleted by the Instagram authority.
Instagram never mentions the exact time frame for deleting inactive accounts, but after analyzing various deleted accounts, I found out that Instagram deletes inactive accounts regards two-time frames.
The first time frame is for 30 days. If your account is inactive for 30 days, Instagram will delete your account. But the deletion process is not guaranteed because I discovered that some accounts survive this period.
For this time frame, there is a chance you can recover your Instagram account if the account has been recently deleted.
The second time frame is one to two years. If you did not log in to your account for one or two years, Instagram would delete your account. You get an email notification from Instagram when your account gets deleted.
After the deletion of the account, you can not log in to your account and can not view any photos or media on Instagram.
Find out how to Fix Instagram Reels Not Working.
Which Instagram Accounts are Considered Inactive?
When you have not logged in to your account for a long time, Instagram considers this account inactive. Instagram has so many strict policies for its users. You could get penalties if you do not follow these rules and regulations properly. 
Basic Terms
- You must be 13 years or older to use this site.
- You can not post nude, partially nude or sexually related content.
- You are responsible for any activity that appears under your profile name.
- You are liable for keeping your password safe.
- You must not abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other users on Instagram.
- You can not use Instagram for any unauthorized or illegal purpose.
- You are solely responsible for your content like photos, posts, profiles, screen names, audio and video.
- You can not modify or hack Instagram or can not create a duplicate website like Instagram.
- You must not access Instagram’s private API rather than the application.
- You must not create or submit unwanted messages or comments to any Instagram members (Spam).
Instagram runs complex algorithms to find out your account activity. If you publish an inappropriate image or write some abusive words, Instagram can delete the post or get the right to ban or remove your account.
Instagram is considered an account inactive for many reasons. These reasons can base on many number of factors, rules and regulations.
Here are the reasons for Instagram is considered inactive:
- The creation date of your account.
- Your last-known login time to the account.
- Your browsing activity, such as the last time you posted a photo, video or story on Instagram.
- The last time you liked or commented on another Instagram account.
- The final activity of your follower.
Also related to this guide how to Fix Can’t Change Instagram Username.
Why is Instagram Deleting Accounts?
Your Instagram account can be deleted for inactivity, but it is not the only reason; other reasons include posting nudity and harassing other users and underage accounts. Your account can also be deleted for hate speech, malware/hacking and spamming with massage or emails.
So, you have to avoid these terms to keep your account safe. For your better understanding, I will explain them in detail below.
Here are the reasons for Instagram account deletion:
Posting Nudity
Instagram has a strict policy about posting nudity content. Your accounts get deleted if your post contains any kind of nudity. The Instagram algorithm always keeps a close eye on your published content and takes action according to the content type.
Harassing Other Users
Nowadays, online harassment is a common social disease. Many social media platform users face harassment on a daily basis, and Instagram is not so different from theirs.
Using abusive language on massage, giving death threats and exploiting sensitive information to blackmail, These types of harassment create a trauma or damage the lives of Instagram users.
Read more on how to Fix Instagram Oops, an Error Occurred.
Underage Account
Instagram user policy includes children under the age of 13 who need adult supervision to use the application because kids can be exposed to all sorts of harmful content on Instagram, which can harm them.
Instagram deletes accounts which users under 13 years of age.
Hate Speech
Instagram has a strict policy about hate speech. Hate speech can lead to many unwanted situations. When you are criticizing a specific person or organization can create tension between both parties.
You must always respect certain boundaries, or it can lead to the company or specific individuals pursuing legal action against you.
Malware or Hacking
Malware or hacking is the most debatable topic on the internet. When you do some unethical work to manipulate other users or organizations, the Instagram algorithm can identify suspicious activity and instantly block it, which can lead to account deletion.
Email or Massage Spamming
Again, posting unnecessary comments or sending irrelevant emails can be considered spamming. Instagram has a firm policy. They never hesitate to block or delete the account whenever they find any spammer.
Your Instagram profile will be out of any kind of danger if you can avoid these mentioned reasons.
Also read on how to fix Instagram Stories Not Working.
How to Recover Instagram Deleted Post And Massages
If your Instagram gets deleted already, these methods are not for you because you can not recover posts and messages from your deleted account.
However, you can recover your recently deleted post and massage by following the solutions I give you in the article below.
Here are the steps to recover deleted Instagram posts and massages:
- Open Instagram from your device.
- Log in to your Instagram profile.
- Navigate to your Profile menu.
- Select Settings from the top right bar.
- Choose Account Settings from settings.
- Select the Recently Deleted option from the account settings menu.
- Select the preferred file or messages you want to recover.
- Click Restore to recover your deleted file.
Following the above-mentioned processes, you can recover any post or message.
FAQs
How will I know whether my account has been deleted?
When you can not log in to your Instagram account, then you will know your account got deleted.
How many reports can result in an Instagram account getting deleted?
Your Instagram account will be deleted if at least four or five people are on different Instagram reports on your account. But Instagram’s authority first checks if you really violate Instagram’s any term and conditions and then decide what to do with your account.
How to avoid getting your account deleted?
Try to login into your Instagram account every now and then. You also need to do some activity on Instagram to avoid the deletion of your account.
Final Thought
Instagram is a social media platform that we use for numerous purposes. But if you use it for unauthorized or illegal purposes can cost your Instagram account, which can be an awful experience.
I suggest you go through my whole article, where I included the reason behind it and the solutions to avoid them. Follow the procedures accordingly, and you will be able to evade the issue and save your Instagram account.
Comment below if you have any queries or suggestions.
