How to Disable Google Smart Lock on Instagram

You would agree the most appreciable among all the things that are automated are password managers. Nothing is more satisfactory than getting signed into your account automatically without typing in your username or password. One such instance you may often be using is letting Google save your credentials automatically, which comes under Google’s password manager or, broadly, Google Smart Lock.

Once you have permitted Google to save your credentials, Google Smart Lock will prompt you to sign in automatically to the respective apps and websites. Dismally, Instagram, which also supports signing in using Google Smart Lock, often faces some critical issues corresponding to the same. The most prominent of them makes signing into another account within the same app impossible.

Naturally, you would want to disable Google Smart Lock on Instagram to overcome the issues, which is what this article is about. Keep reading to learn more.

Disable Google Smart Lock on Instagram

The primary reason why Instagram is forcing you to sign in via Google Smart Lock is because you have your credentials saved. It could be because of accepting the “Remember password for this site?” prompt while logging into your Instagram account online or by allowing Google to save your Instagram credentials while logging into your account on the Instagram app. Regardless, we will first tackle how to get rid of the irritating Google Smart Lock sign-in prompt and then learn how to prevent it from further saving passwords.

Clear Instagram App Data

While this method doesn’t usually work in this case, you can still give it a shot since it’s rather uncomplicated. Clearing app data and its cache resets the app altogether, thereby logging you out and allowing you to start afresh. Here is how you do so on an Android device:

1. Long-press the Instagram icon and select App info. Alternatively, you can head to your device’s App Settings and look for Instagram in the app list.
2. Tap Storage to view the amount of space occupied by Instagram.
3. Select Clear Cache followed by Clear Data to reset Instagram’s app data completely.
4. Proceed by restarting the app and see if the login prompt appears.

You may also try reinstalling the app after uninstalling it if the above method doesn’t work as intended.

Delete Instagram’s Saved Password

Since Google Smart Lock has your credentials saved, it’s best to delete them in order to get rid of the annoying sign-in prompt. To do so:

1. Open your device’s Settings and enter the Google section.
2. Choose the requisite Google account and select Manage your Google Account. You can access your Google account settings by clicking your profile icon in the Gmail app.
3. Enter Security settings from the top toolbar.
4. Scroll down and tap Manage Passwords.
5. Look out for Instagram and tap it.
6. Click on Delete to remove the saved Instagram password.

This method is by far the best way to disable Google Smart Lock on Instagram. Additionally, you can access the password manager page here using any browser to make changes on a PC or an iPhone.

Remove Google Smart Lock From Trusted Agents

If you don’t know, trusted agents are responsible for all the passcode-free logins you make, which explains why you only see prompts from Google Smart Lock and not from other apps. Thankfully, Android allows the disabling of existing trusted agents, even default ones. Here is how you can do so:

1. Open your device’s Settings and look for Security and privacy settings.
2. Scroll down and select More security settings. It could be named a bit differently depending on the phone you are using.
3. Select Trust agents.
4. Disable the toggle beside Extend Unlock or Google Play Store, depending on your device. Again, the name may vary, but you can identify the toggle using the old Google Play Store icon if it shows on your phone.

Now that we have tackled the annoying sign-in prompts, you must follow the subsequent methods to ensure Google Smart Lock never saves your Instagram credentials.

Permanently Disable Google Smart Lock To Save Instagram Credentials

It turns out you can disable saving Instagram credentials, somewhat like blocklisting it altogether. Furthermore, you can add apps to this list and websites. To do so:

1. Open your device’s Settings and enter the Google section.
2. Choose the requisite Google account and select Manage your Google Account. Alternatively, you can access your Google account settings by clicking your profile icon in the Gmail app.
3. Enter Security settings from the top toolbar.
4. Scroll down and tap Manage passwords.
5. Switch to the Settings tab from the bottom panel.
6. Scroll down to the Declined sites and apps section and tap the plus icon (+) that says Add more.
7. Select Instagram from the app list.

To access your blocklist on the web, visit here.

Turn Off Auto Sign-In Prompts

To prevent sign-in popups, you can disable auto sign-in and save password prompts on your device using the following steps.

1. Open your device’s Settings and enter the Google section.
2. Choose the requisite Google account and select Manage your Google Account. Alternatively, you can access your Google account settings by clicking your profile icon in the Gmail app.
3. Enter Security settings from the top toolbar.
4. Scroll down and tap Manage passwords.
5. Switch to the Settings tab from the bottom panel.
6. Disable the toggles beside Offer to save passwords and Auto sign-in.

You can also do this on the web by visiting this site.

Reset Google Smart Lock by Removing Associated Google Account

Another way of resetting Google Smart Lock wholly is by removing the faulty Google account associated with it from your device. This resets Smart Lock’s functioning. To remove a Google account from an Android device,

1. Open your device’s Settings and look for the Accounts and backup settings.
2. Select Manage accounts to view all the Google accounts stored on your device.
3. Select the desired Google account if you have more than one account.
4. Click on Remove account and confirm your action.

After this, you can check if the problem persists by re-adding the removed Google account and restarting the Instagram app.

Disable Google Smart Lock on Instagram Rightfully

Although an undoubtedly useful tool, Google Smart Lock can sometimes mess up, especially in the case of Instagram login. In most cases, the problem may be solved by clearing the app data or deleting saved passwords. Disabling “Save Password” prompts and automatic sign-ins is another way of ensuring you aren’t bothered by the Google Smart Lock prompts time and again. You can make use of the other methods mentioned above and not only prevent the login prompt but also make sure never to let Google Smart Lock interfere again.

Further Reading:

How to Secure Your Gmail Account
How to Check if Someone is Logged in to Your Instagram Account
How to Hide Instagram Account and Stop People From Finding You
How to Log Out of Instagram on All Devices: A Quick Guide