Does deleting your Threads account also delete your Instagram?

Meta’s new Twitter alternative is all the rage at the moment, as fresh users ditch Elon Musk’s deteriorating platform for greener pastures.

They’re not too green, at the moment, but Threads is still in its infant stages. It’s brand new, so of course its not functioning perfectly, but people are still experiencing ceaseless issues with the site. It offers up a reasonably comfortable version of Twitter for those outside the Musk fan club, but its still working out the kinks. Like the necessity of an Instagram account, which serves as a major annoyance for people looking to cut own, rather than bulk up, on their social media presence, and the site’s eerie connection to a brutal BBC film about nuclear annihilation. Most importantly, a major issue has been flagged among some users, who claim that, once opened, closing a Threads account comes with some serious consequences.

Does deleting Threads also delete Instagram?

As it stands, creating a Threads account requires use of Instagram. As such, the sites are inextricably connected — and not always in a good way, as it turns out. Due to Threads current reliance on Instagram, users have noted a problematic snag in the process.

Users started flagging that you can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account soon after the fresh social media platform launched, and Meta was quick to address the claims. The company noted, in response to complaints about the Thread/Instagram snafu, that “At this time, you can’t delete your Threads profile without deleting your Instagram account.” At this point, anyone who is unsure about Threads, and remains attached to their Instagram, should probably avoid making an account entirely. Otherwise, they’ll either be saddled with a permanent Threads account, or be forced to ditch their Insta.

Thankfully, Meta is already working on the issue. It told BBC that efforts are already being made to rectify the problem, and “in the meantime, you can deactivate your Threads profile at any time.”

According to Meta, “deactivating your Threads profile will not deactivate your Instagram account.” That at least provides some level of protection for Instagram users, who can — in the absence of a full delete — deactivate an unused or unwanted Threads account without impacting their Instagram.

So there you have it. If you’re a frequent Instagram user and you decide to give Threads a try, do so with caution, and if you decide to shut it down veer toward deactivation rather than deletion.