What to know
- ‘Threads’ is Meta’s version of Twitter available only to Instagram users.
- Once you’ve signed up on Threads using your Instagram account, the two cannot be unlinked.
- To remove the Threads badge on your Instagram profile, tap on it and select ‘Hide badge’. Once removed, it cannot be brought back.
- You can only delete your Threads account by deleting your Instagram account. However, you can deactivate your Threads account and it won’t affect your Instagram account.
- Deactivate your Threads account from Profile > Settings > Account > Deactivate profile > Deactivate Threads profile > Deactivate.
Meta has finally gone and released Threads – a new app that looks to target Twitter’s space with text-based posts and access to public conversations and threads. Is this the cage match we wanted?
Setting up Threads is as simple as downloading the app and logging in with your Instagram account. But should you? Excited early joiners are realizing that there is one major caveat when joining Threads – once you set it up, you can’t delete it without also waving goodbye to your Instagram.
So what can you do instead? The following guide will show you all the things you need to know to remove Threads’ presence from your Instagram.
What is Threads?
Threads is Meta’s version of Twitter that looks and feels very much like Instagram but has all (or most of) the functionalities of Twitter. So, you can post text updates up to 500 characters, add photos, links, and videos, and follow all your Instagram friends that are also on Threads. It doesn’t support the use of hashtags, nor are there any ads (yet).
Can you unlink Threads from your Instagram profile?
Unfortunately, no. Threads, once logged in with your Instagram credentials and linked to it, cannot be unlinked.
Now this is not something that users are told at the time one is logging in to Threads with their Instagram account, which is the only option there.
Though you are told that Threads is ‘Powered by Instagram’ and that it “is part of the Instagram platform”, the fact that it comes after the login screen is questionable, to say the least.
The insanely close integration with Instagram may not work for many users. But there isn’t any way to unlink Threads from your Instagram profile, except by the small measures that you can take given below.
How to remove the Threads badge on your Instagram profile?
Once you set up Threads, your Instagram profile bio will receive a Threads badge to let others know that you’re on the Threads app as well.
Any Instagram user can simply tap on this badge to get to the Threads profile. But if you don’t want to have this badge pinned on your profile, here’s how to remove it:
Open your Instagram app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
Then tap on this Threads badge.
Tap on Hide badge at the bottom.
And tap on Remove badge.
Do note that once you’ve removed the badge, it can’t be added back to your profile. Another bummer, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from Meta.
How to temporarily deactivate your Threads account?
The option of deactivating your Threads account is the only viable means of temporarily removing Threads’ presence from your Instagram account. Here’s how to do so:
On the Threads app, tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
Tap on the horizontal lines in the top right corner for more options.
Tap on Account.
Select Deactivate profile.
Tao on Deactivate Threads profile.
Then select Deactivate.
To re-activate your account, simply log in with your Instagram credentials again.
Don’t delete your Threads account (unless you want to delete your Instagram as well)
Users have the option to delete their Thread accounts completely. But that will come at the heavy cost of their Instagram accounts as well. Since Meta has set up Threads as part of the Instagram platform, removing one will remove the other.
The same information is provided under the ‘Other account settings’ option in Threads.
If you haven’t joined Threads yet, and don’t want your Instagram account taken hostage as such, consider not signing up on Threads just yet.
FAQ
Let’s take a look at a few commonly asked queries about unlinking Threads from Instagram.
Can I delete Threads without deleting Instagram?
No, you cannot delete Threads without also deleting your Instagram account. The two, once linked, will remain inextricably so.
Can you have a Threads account without Instagram?
Currently, Threads is only open to those who have an Instagram account. This means that you can only sign up using your Instagram account.
Meta’s applications have had a long history of privacy issues and concerns. The release of Threads only to Instagram users such that the two will be joined at the hip may be problematic for some who want to keep their Threads and Instagram account separate. However, this could well be possible once Threads allows anyone to sign up to their platform, not just Instagram users.
