You can see and remove third-party apps connected to Instagram in Settings, under Website permissions, then Apps and websites. As of Nov 2026, Instagram Help says an app counts as active if you've used it in the last 90 days, but removing one only stops future access and doesn't delete anything it already stored.
Most business accounts pick up connected apps the way a kitchen drawer picks up takeaway menus. A scheduler from two years ago, an analytics trial, a printing app someone tried once. Each one may still have a route into your account. Here's how Instagram sorts them, what each can reach, and how to clear out the ones you've stopped using.
Active, expired and removed: how Instagram labels connected apps
Instagram Help says any app or website you log in to with Instagram, or connect to your account, sits in one of three states: active, expired or removed. Which one depends on what you've done and how recently you've used it.
Before the states make sense, you need Instagram's split between two kinds of information. Some information is public: part of your public profile, or things you've chosen to make public. Help says an app can reach that at any time. Everything else is non-public, and an app only gets it if you chose to share it when you logged in with Instagram.
| Status | What the app can reach | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Any information on Instagram you've shared with it, at any time | Help says this applies if it looks like you've used the app in the last 90 days |
| Expired | Your always-public details, such as username, bio and profile picture | Only happens on personal accounts set to private, and the app may still hold what you shared earlier |
| Removed | Public information on your account only | It may have stored information from when you used it; removing doesn't delete that |
The 90-day expiry rule, and who it doesn't cover
The expiry rule sounds reassuring, so it's worth reading the small print. Help says that for personal accounts set to private, if it looks like you haven't logged in to an app with Instagram in the last 90 days, its access to your non-public information expires automatically.
Three exceptions change the picture for most businesses:
- Public accounts don't get the automatic expiry. Help describes it only for personal accounts set to private. A public brand profile doesn't get that safety net.
- Business and creator tools never expire. Help says apps with permissions to monitor or manage information from business and creator accounts aren't expired after 90 days of inactivity, because they may need continuous access. Your old scheduling or analytics tool keeps its access until you remove it.
- Always-public details stay reachable. Your username, bio and profile picture can still be accessed after 90 days, because they're public to everyone anyway.
There's a quirk running the other way too. Help admits Instagram can't always tell when you haven't used an app for 90 days, so it may sometimes cut off an app you have used recently. If a tool suddenly loses its connection, that's one possible reason.
Remove an app from Instagram on a computer
Help gives these steps for the computer version of Instagram as of Nov 2026:
- Click More in the bottom left, then click Settings.
- Below Your app and media, click Website permissions.
- Click Apps and websites, then click Active.
- Find the app you want to cut off and click Remove next to it.
- Repeat for every app on the active list that nobody on your team still uses.
Instagram Help has separate versions of this article for iPhone, Android, Instagram Lite and mobile browsers. The menus differ by device, so if you're on your phone, open the Help article for your device rather than guessing your way through Settings.
What removing an app doesn't undo
This is the bit people miss. Help says removing an app only prevents it from continuing to reach your non-public information through Instagram. It doesn't pull back what the app already has. If you shared photos or videos with it while it was active, the app may have stored them, and that copy is outside Instagram's control.
Expired apps behave the same way. Help says an expired app may still hold non-public information you shared while it was active, such as your photos or videos. And if you start using an expired app again after 90 days, it may become active again and regain the non-public information you'd previously chosen to share. It may also ask permission to keep going after its access has expired, and you can approve or deny that request directly or change it later in your Instagram settings.
So treat removal as closing the door, not emptying the room. If an app holds something you want deleted, that's a conversation with the app itself.
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The safe way to connect a new app
Instagram Help's advice on third-party apps is short: be careful before giving any app or website access, and never share your Instagram login details with a person or app you don't trust. Help also has a separate article on why you shouldn't use apps that offer likes and followers, which tells you how Instagram views that category.
The legitimate route is the authorisation screen. Help uses the example of an app that lets you print your Instagram photos. When you link it, Instagram shows a request listing what the app wants, such as your username and the photos you've shared. You tap Cancel to stop, or Authorise to allow it. If an app asks you to type your Instagram password into its own form instead, that's a red flag.
If you've already handed your password to something you now regret, change it and review where your account is signed in. My guide to checking your Instagram login activity walks through that, and if you've lost control of the account altogether, use my steps for recovering a hacked Instagram account instead.
What I'd do this week
I'd start with a ten-minute audit of the active list. For each app, ask one question: did anyone on the team use this in the last month? If not, remove it. I'd skip any app that wants your password rather than the authorisation screen, and I'd be stricter with business tools than personal ones, because Help says business and creator monitoring apps never expire on their own. Then put a reminder in the diary to do it again each quarter. If a tool you rely on stops working after the clear-out, reconnect it through the authorisation screen, and if you're struggling to get back in at all, my fixes for Instagram login problems should help.
If your team plugs a handful of tools into its social accounts, keeping that access tidy and documented is part of the workflow help I give. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find third-party apps connected to Instagram?
On a computer, click More, then Settings, then Website permissions below Your app and media, then Apps and websites, then Active. Click Remove next to any app you want to cut off.
Does removing an app from Instagram delete my data?
No. Instagram Help says removing an app only stops it reaching your non-public information through Instagram. Anything it stored while you used it may stay with the app.
Do Instagram app permissions expire after 90 days?
Only on personal accounts set to private, and only for non-public information. Help says apps that monitor or manage business and creator accounts aren't expired after 90 days.
Can an expired app get access back?
Yes. Help says if you start using an expired app again after 90 days, it may become active again and reach the non-public information you'd shared with it before.
