How to Reset Instagram

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, offering users a space to share photos, videos, and stories. However, over time, you might feel the need to reset your Instagram account to clear out your profile, reset your feed, or even refresh your entire experience on the app. Whether you want to start fresh, clean up your profile, or make changes to your Instagram settings, this guide will walk you through the process step by step.

Why Would You Want to Reset Instagram?

There are several reasons why you might want to reset your Instagram account:

1. Clear out old posts: Maybe your feed has become cluttered with posts that no longer represent you.
2. Unfollow unnecessary accounts: Your home feed might be filled with posts from accounts you no longer care about.
3. Start fresh: You might want a complete overhaul of your profile to begin again with a new perspective.
4. Fix feed and explore issues: Sometimes, the algorithm might start showing irrelevant content, and resetting Instagram could improve your overall experience.

Whatever your reason, resetting Instagram can be tailored to your needs. Let’s dive into how you can do it!

How to Reset Your Instagram Profile

The first step in resetting Instagram involves making adjustments to your profile. Whether you’re looking to delete posts, clean up followers, or even wipe your account completely, here’s how to proceed.

Cleaning Up Your Instagram Profile

If you want to keep your Instagram account but refresh it, you can simply delete old posts, unfollow users, or remove followers. Follow these steps:

1. Delete Posts:

   • Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
   • Tap on the post you want to delete.
   • Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select Delete. Repeat this for every post you want to remove.

2. Unfollow Accounts:

   • On your profile, tap on Following to see all the accounts you’re following.
   • Tap Following next to the user’s name, then select Unfollow.

3. Remove Followers:

   • Go to your list of followers by tapping Followers on your profile.
   • Tap on the three dots next to the follower’s name and select Remove.

Deleting Your Profile Picture

If you want to reset your profile to a more anonymous look, you can delete your profile picture:

• Go to your profile and tap on Edit Profile.
• Tap on your profile picture and select Remove Profile Photo.

How to Delete Instagram Account

For those wanting to start entirely from scratch, deleting your Instagram account might be the right move. This action is irreversible, so be sure this is what you want before proceeding.

Steps to Delete Your Instagram Account

1. Backup Your Data:

   • Before deleting, consider downloading a copy of your Instagram data.
   • Go to Settings > Security > Download Data, enter your email, and request the file.

2. Delete Your Account:

   • Visit the Instagram Delete Your Account page.
   • Select a reason for deleting your account and re-enter your password.
   • Click Permanently delete my account.

How to Reset Instagram Settings

Sometimes, you might want to restore the default settings on Instagram, particularly if you’ve made multiple changes and want to start over. Unfortunately, there is no single button to “reset all settings” on Instagram, but you can manually reset individual settings.

1. Reset Privacy Settings:

   • Go to Settings > Privacy and adjust settings like account privacy, activity status, and story controls.

2. Notifications:

   • If your notifications are out of control, head to Settings > Notifications and reset your notification preferences.

3. Security Settings:

   • Under Settings > Security, you can adjust your password, two-factor authentication, and login alerts.

How to Reset Instagram Home Feed

Resetting your Instagram home feed can improve your experience if you’re seeing content that doesn’t interest you. The feed is based on accounts you follow and your interactions.

Resetting Your Home Feed

1. Unfollow Irrelevant Accounts: Start by unfollowing accounts that post content you no longer care about. This will immediately clear up your home feed.

2. Mute Accounts: If you don’t want to unfollow someone but wish to stop seeing their content, you can mute their posts or stories.

   • Visit their profile, tap Following, and choose Mute.

Resetting Instagram Search History

Your Instagram search history influences your suggested posts and explore page. Resetting this can remove unwanted suggestions.

How to Clear Search History

1. In the App:

   • Tap the magnifying glass (search icon) and then tap the search bar.
   • You’ll see your recent searches—click See All > Clear All.

2. On Desktop:

   • Go to the Instagram website and clear search history through the search bar in the same manner.

Resetting the Instagram Explore Page

The Explore page shows content based on what you’ve liked, commented on, or searched for. To reset this, you can guide Instagram’s algorithm by interacting only with content you’re interested in.

Steps to Reset Explore Page

1. Clear Search History: As mentioned earlier, clearing your search history can help reset what Instagram shows you.
2. Mark Posts as Not Interested: When you see a post you don’t like, tap on the three dots and select Not Interested. This tells Instagram to stop showing similar content.

How to Reset Instagram Password

For security reasons or if you’ve forgotten your password, resetting your Instagram password is easy.

Steps to Reset Your Password

1. From the App:

   • On the login screen, tap Forgot Password? and follow the prompts to reset it via email, phone, or Facebook.

2. On Desktop:

   • Go to Instagram’s password reset page, enter your email or phone number, and follow the instructions.

How to Reset the Instagram Algorithm

If Instagram is showing you irrelevant content in your feed or explore page, you might want to reset the algorithm by taking the following actions:

1. Unfollow or Mute Accounts: By unfollowing or muting accounts that don’t align with your current interests, you signal to the algorithm what kind of content you prefer.
2. Engage with Preferred Content: Like, comment, and save posts that align with your interests to guide the algorithm.
3. Clear Search History: As explained above, this can prevent irrelevant content from showing up.

Conclusion

Resetting your Instagram experience can feel refreshing, whether you want to clean up your profile, adjust the content you see, or fix your settings. Instagram offers flexible ways to manage and refresh your account without completely starting over. Follow these steps to tailor your Instagram experience to suit your current preferences.

FAQs

1. Can I reset my Instagram profile without deleting my account?

   • Yes, you can reset your profile by deleting old posts, unfollowing accounts, and removing followers.

2. How do I clear my Instagram search history?

   • Go to the search bar in the app or desktop, and click Clear All to remove your recent searches.

3. Can I reset the Instagram Explore page?

   • You can influence what appears by marking posts as Not Interested and clearing your search history.

4. How do I delete my Instagram account permanently?

   • Visit Instagram’s Delete Your Account page, select a reason, and follow the steps to permanently delete your account.

5. Is there a way to reset all settings on Instagram at once?

   • Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t have a single reset button for settings. You’ll need to manually adjust each setting.

6. Can I recover a deleted Instagram account?

   • No, once an Instagram account is permanently deleted, it cannot be recovered.

7. How can I reset Instagram’s algorithm?

   • You can reset the algorithm by engaging with content you like and unfollowing or muting irrelevant accounts.

8. How do I reset my Instagram password?

   • Tap Forgot Password? on the login screen, and follow the steps to reset your password via email, phone, or Facebook.