How to delete Facebook and Instagram as thousands search after major outage

The day following Facebook's worldwide outage, users in the UK appeared to reconsider their presence on social media platforms.

Users searching 'how to delete facebook' were up a record 1,500% and soared 16 times the average on Tuesday after the social media platform was down for several hours.

From approximately 4:40pm on October 4, billions of users were unable to access Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for over five hours. Facebook currently has 3.9billion active users.

Instagram, which has over 1.3billion users, fared no better. Searches for 'how to delete Instagram' were up 806%, which is nine times the average volume, according to advertising experts N. Rich.

Searches for how to delete Facebook and Instagram are up a record amount after Facebook's outage (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The knock-on effect of the outage reverberated across the internet as Facebook is also used to sign in on websites, apps and devices. The last Facebook outage in 2019 totalled 24 hours.

For users determined to go through with deleting Facebook and Instagram, follow these simple steps.

How to delete Facebook

Facebook users have a choice between temporarily deactivating their accounts or permanently deleting them.

1. To permanently delete Facebook, go to your main profile and click account in the top right of Facebook from your main profile.
2. Select "Settings & privacy", then click "Settings".
3. In the left column, click "Your Facebook information" in the left column. If you have Facebook access to a Page in the new Pages experience: Click "Privacy", then click "Your Facebook information".
4. Click "Deactivation and deletion".
5. Select "Delete Account", then click "Continue".
6. Click "Delete Account", enter your password and then click "Continue".

How to delete Instagram

Similarly, Instagram users can temporarily deactivate or permanently delete Instagram.

1. To permanently delete Instagram, go to the "Delete Your Account" page from a mobile browser or computer — not the Instagram app.
2. If not already logged in, log in to Instagram.
3. Select an option from the dropdown menu next to "Why are you deleting your account?" and re-enter your password. You must select a reason to permanently delete your account.
4. Select "Delete [your username]".

"It’s fascinating to see how a global outage affecting major social media and communication platforms — Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp — can lead to such a massive hike in people searching for how to delete their accounts on their own," said a spokesperson for N. Rich.

"There has been increasing focus on social media and its relationship with mental health, and it's interesting to consider that just a few hours without social media may have encouraged people to rethink and readjust their use of it."