Instagram helps you connect with people in many different ways. One of them is allowing the app to access your contacts. This way Instagram can suggest other accounts from people you may know. However, some users do not like the idea of sharing their contacts with the app.
Turning off contact sync on your smartphone is really easy and straightforward, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps. Keep reading our text to find out how to turn off contact sync on Instagram and delete your contact list.
Table of Contents:
Being one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram is determined to provide the easiest and most efficient user interface. When you first sign up for Instagram on your smartphone you will be able to connect your Instagram account to your device’s contact list. Once you have synced your contacts, the app can now recommend other accounts for you to follow based on the people from your contact list. In addition, the app will also use this information to recommend your profile to other people, as well.
However, some users might be uncomfortable with syncing their contacts for many different reasons. Alternatively, there are also times when you do not wish to keep your contacts synced with your Instagram anymore. In that case, you can easily delete your contact list and disable contact syncing.
If you have allowed Instagram to access your contacts upon signing up, you can still opt to disconnect your contacts from Instagram. Of course, this will stop your contacts from syncing, but it will not delete those that have already synced. We will explain how to delete those contacts step by step in the next section, as well.
But, first, let us see how to disable contact sync on your smartphone.
Launch the Instagram application on your phone. It does not matter whether you are an iPhone or an Android user. Turning off the contact sync process is the same.
- In the bottom right corner, tap on your profile icon in the Instagram app.
- Next, tap on the overflow menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- In the overflow menu, tap on “Settings”.
- Here, you will need to go to the “Account” section.
- Immediately, you will see “Contacts Syncing”.
- After you have tapped on “Contact Syncing”, you will see the toggle you need to turn off in order to disable contact sync on Instagram.
As simple as that. Now, your contacts will no longer sync with Instagram.
Now, as we have mentioned, turning off sync will not delete the already synced contacts. Deleting the contact list from Instagram is as simple as disabling contact sync, however, you will need to access the Instagram website via your computer. Unfortunately, the app does not allow users to delete their contacts from its servers using the mobile app.
- Log into your Instagram account via your computer. Once you are logged in, click on your profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Click on the “Settings” section in the pop-up menu.
- Next, click on “Manage Contacts”.
- Here, you will need to click on “Delete All” to remove all the contacts that have already been synced to your Instagram. If the contact sync has never been turned on in the first place, this button will be faded-out and unclickable.
And that is pretty much it. It basically takes a couple of minutes to turn off your contact sync and delete the Instagram contact list. Now, the contact sync is disabled and your contacts are deleted from Instagram servers. After you have disabled Instagram from having access to your contact list, there will not be any unnecessary profile recommendations from the app while keeping your contacts private, as well.
Conclusion
Instagram has long ago stopped being a service used simply for photo and video sharing. Many people use this app to sustain their everyday communication, connectivity, and creative needs. There are plenty of ways Instagram connects you with people, one of which is syncing your contact list. This allows you to connect with your friends if they have registered their mobile numbers with Instagram handles.
However, if you wish to keep your account as private as possible, you can discontinue contact sync on Instagram and remove your contact list in just a few simple steps.
