Instagram is a visual platform; you get to share photos and videos on your account, which could significantly grow your followers on the platform. Like other social media platforms, Instagram is a place to connect with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Your friends or family members can either search you up on the platform or come across you amongst their friends’ suggestions if they follow someone who you also follow or who follows you.
Another method people can find you online is with your phone number. If you link your contact to your Instagram account, anyone with your phone number would easily find you.
This scenario could eventually turn out to be a problem when you don’t want someone to find you on the social media platform or when someone who possesses your phone number searches for you on Instagram simply to stalk you.
It is also a way to make your account public on social media platforms. You might be wondering if it is possible to actually unlink your phone number from your Instagram account.
The simple answer to such a question is yes. You can remove your phone number from your Instagram account so that fellow Instagram users who possess your phone number cannot find you on Instagram when they sync their contact.
This guide leads you through why Instagram needed your phone number in the first place and how to remove your contact from your Instagram.
Why Does Instagram Require a Phone Number
How To Effectively Unlink My Phone Number From My Instagram Account
The first time you try registering on Instagram, you will be required by the app to create a unique username. The next step after creating this username is to add a phone number or email address.
Most people tend to go with a phone number because it seems like the easier choice between the two. Instagram makes this request to have a means of reaching out to you if any problem ever pops up with your account.
When you provide a phone number, a verification code is sent to the provided phone number. This is for Instagram to confirm that you’re the rightful owner of the phone number provided. Without a working email or phone number, you cannot proceed with the registration process.
This is not all there is to the phone number request; sometimes, Instagram simply wants to confirm through the phone number or email address that the account which is being created is linked to a human and not a fake bot.
This is because of several instances where you can set fake profiles to foster misinformation or impersonate public figures to be able to defraud many Instagram users.
Another reason why Instagram is interested in your phone number is to collect user data so as to be able to run ads adequately and direct ads to the right audience.
Steps to Take Before Unlinking Your Phone Number From Instagram Account
Even though you can unlink your phone number from your Instagram account, there are some necessary steps to take before you begin the process, and they are provided below.
Add An Email to Your Account
Before you can successfully remove your phone number from your Instagram account, you need to provide Instagram with an alternative method to contact you, and that s your phone number. To effectively do this, click on the profile icon presented at the end of the screen on the menu bar’s right corner.
Click on the ‘edit profile,’ which is displayed below your Instagram bio. On the options provided, click on the ‘personal information setting,’ which is the last option provided. Instagram will provide you with an email address, phone number, gender, and birthday.
Tap on the space provided for an email address and add an active email address.
Once this is done, Instagram will send you a mail to verify your account.
Click on the link provided on the received mail from Instagram, and you’re good to go. Ensure the mail provided is a working email address, even if people cannot trace it back to you.
Communicate Changes Ahead of Time
This is for those who run a business on the platform or have their phone number linked to an influencer page; ensure that the new changes are communicated in advance to prevent any issue from coming up in the future. You don’t want to lose potential clients who got your phone number and are trying to find you on the social media platform. Communicate the update to your partners, followers, and followings before you make the change.
How To Unlink My Contact Number From My Instagram Account
Adding your email to your Instagram account ensures Instagram can contact you at any time, and you’re able to recover your account in various cases.
It comes in handy when your account gets hacked, or you forgot your password; you can effectively remove your phone number from your Instagram.
The device you’re using to carry out the action determines the process, which is why we’ve outline how to unlink phone numbers from Instagram via the app or PC.
Unlinking Phone Number From Instagram Account Via Instagram App
Below are the steps to remove your phone number from your Instagram account through the Instagram app on various mobile devices. The steps outlined below only takes a few minutes to complete; let’s get started.
- To get started, log in to your Instagram account via the app
- Click on the profile icon at the end of the screen; it is located at the menu bar’s right corner.
- Click on ‘edit profile,’ which is placed right below the Instagram bio.
- From the list of options provided on Instagram, click on personal information, which is the last option on the page.
- In the text box presented under ‘phone number,’ clear out your phone number and then click done at the end of the page.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully unlinked your phone number from your Instagram account.
Unlinking Phone Number From Instagram Account via PC
If you prefer using your PC and would like to process the unlinking action from your PC, it is entirely possible, and you can successfully do this following the steps outlined below.
- Visit the Instagram official website on your preferred website.
- Log into your Instagram account through your login details or sing Facebook if you previously linked your Facebook to your WhatsApp.
- At the end of the page on the menu bar is the profile icon; it is located at the right corner of the page.
- When you click on the profile icon, Instagram will provide a drop-down menu. Pick ‘settings,’ which is the last option on the page.
- This will quickly redirect you to a new page with several options on the page’s left corner. At the top is ‘edit profile,’ and when clicked on, it provides you with several options to edit your profile on the right side.
- Scroll through the options provided to ‘Phone number’ and delete the number provided in the box.
- Once you’re done, click on ‘submit,’ which is at the end of the page, to save the new changes and unlink your phone number from your Instagram account.
How To Successfully Disconnect Contact Syncing on Your Instagram Account
Sometimes, Instagram tries to connect you with your family and friends, and it does it with the use of contact syncing. If you want to turn this Instagram option off, then follow the steps provided below. The process differs from mobile devices to PC, but we’ll be sharing both methods below.
How to Disconnect Contact Syncing Via The Instagram App on Your Mobile Device
The mobile app is the easiest way to get it done, and the process to achieve this is outlined below in simple terms; you should be done in a couple of minutes.
- First, you will be needed to log into your Instagram account on the app.
- Visit your Instagram profile by clicking on the profile icon at the end of the screen on the menu bar.
- Click on the three horizontal lines at the top right corner of the profile page.
- On the drop-down menu, click on Settings.
- This will immediately redirect you to a new page with options; click on account from the options provided.
- This will take you to a brand new menu; click on contact syncing from the options provided to continue.
- Next to ‘connect contacts’ is a toggle that allows you to switch it on and off. If it is turned on, then ensure you toggle it right off, and you’re done.
How to Disconnect Contact Syncing Via PC
The process of disconnecting contact syncing is a little bit different when you choose to use your PC to carry out the action. However, the steps are listed below, and you’ll be done in no time at all.
- To get started, simply visit the Instagram site on your preferred browser and log into your Instagram account.
- The top right corner of the page is the menu bar with the profile icon being the last; click on it.
- The profile icon will provide you with a dropdown menu; click on ‘settings,’ which is the last option on the dropdown menu.
- This will immediately direct you to a new page with options on the left side of the page; click on ‘manage contacts’ from the options provided, and you will be presented with options on the left corner of the page.
- All the contacts synced to your account will be displayed, and you are provided with the option to delete all; click on it.
- Confirm your action, and Instagram will delete all previously synced contacts immediately from the Instagram server and from your account.
Note that when you disconnect contact syncing on the app or delete synced contacts on your PC, previously saved Instagram will automatically delete contact info saved on the Instagram server. You will need to sync again to get your contact info back on Instagram.
How to Unlink Your Instagram Account From Your Facebook Account
Having your contact number is not the only way people can find you on the social media platform. Your friends on Facebook can also find you on Instagram if you have your Facebook account linked to your Instagram account.
All these users have to do is go to the profile page and click on ‘discover people,’ and they can easily find friends of theirs on Facebook who is also on Instagram. Suppose you’re all about privacy and would like to maintain your privacy on all grounds.
In that case, you can follow the tips provided below to also unlink your Instagram account from your Facebook account.
- It all starts with you logging on to Instagram with your login details.
- Visit the profile page by clicking on the profile icon with is at the right corner of the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Once you visit your profile, click on the three horizontal lines on the page’s right side.
- At the end of the options provided is ‘settings’; click on it to continue.
- This will provide you with a set of new options; click on ‘account’ from the options displayed.
- Instagram will provide you with various actions you can carry out on your account; click linked accounts from the options.
- This menu will provide you with different social media accounts with the linked accounts being ticked.
- Click on ‘Facebook,’ which is the first option, and you will be provided with an option to ‘unlink.’
- Click on the ‘unlink’ option and confirm your action. This will ensure that your Facebook is unlinked from your Instagram account.
This action of unlinking your Facebook account from your Instagram ensures that your Instagram posts no longer appear on your Facebook story. Instagram will not prompt your Facebook friends to follow you on Instagram anymore.
How To Disable Getting Suggested
When you follow an Instagram account on the platform, you will be provided with suggestions of similar accounts that you might be looking to follow.
This could range from mutual friends to someone you should probably know. Your account pops up on the suggestions tab whenever someone follows a similar account, and if you want to be really private and hard to find on the social media platform, then the final step for you is to disable the feature that allows people to see you on the similar account suggestions.
You cannot access this option on your Instagram app; you can only reset this feature from your PC or on a web browser on your mobile device. Below are steps to follow when you want to disable similar account suggestions on your account.
- Choose your preferred web browser on your mobile device or computer and visit the official Instagram website.
- Log into your account on the platform and then click the profile icon at the screen’s top corner.
- This action presents you with a drop-down menu; click on ‘settings’ from the options provided.
- This will redirect you to a new page, click on ‘edit profile,’ which is the first option displayed. It will provide you with a list of options on the right corner of the page.
- Scroll to the last options provided, and Instagram will present you with ‘similar account suggestions’ and a box right next to it that you can check and uncheck.
- Uncheck the box to turn off your account from getting added to the list of suggestions on someone’s profile.
- Click on ‘submit’ to save the new changes you’ve made. Voila! You’re done.
FAQs
Why is it hard to remove my contact number from Instagram?
The only reason why this would be difficult to do is if you haven’t linked an email address to the account. Add an email address and try again.
Why does Instagram request my phone number?
There are several valid reasons why Instagram does this, but they all revolve around keeping you and other Instagram users safe. You can retrieve your password through this process, and it prevents hackers from gaining access to your account.
Can my phone number be used to find me on Instagram?
Yes. Even though Instagram doesn’t display your phone number due to its privacy policy, it is used by the platform to help other users find you on the platform.
Can I stop Instagram from verifying my phone number?
No, you cannot. You cannot bypass Instagram phone verification; you must do it before your registration on the platform is complete.
Final thoughts
There are so many options available on Instagram, and sometimes, it can get confusing. Sometimes, you would feel your privacy is being invaded, especially by someone who has your phone number.
If you are ever in such a tricky situation, you can unlink your phone number from your Instagram account by following the processes outlined above.
Other actions you can take to stay private on the social media platform are also provided in this article, like how to disable similar account suggestions and how to disconnect contact syncing using the PC and Instagram app.
We hope the steps listed above are easy to follow; they should help you keep a private profile on Instagram and control your connections on the platform.
