Easily Manage Multiple Instagram Accounts with Account Switching

Got multiple Instagram accounts?

One for business, one for fun?

Another one for another business? Or maybe your pet?

Maintaining separate accounts is a highly recommended, yet frustrating, tactic.

Recommended, because Instagram users love to follow laser-focused accounts.

Frustrating, because you’ve had to sign in and out of one account to access another.

But no longer!

Instagram finally announced account switching February 8, 2016. I got it that same day, after checking obsessively for days. It had already been rolling out for a week!

Note: This post was originally published on Feb 8, 2016, and last updated October 12, 2020, with the latest info for you.

We’ll cover all this below:

• How to create another Instagram account.
• How to add Instagram Account Switching to existing accounts.
• How to enable one login for all your linked accounts.
• Push notifications on multiple Instagram accounts.
• How to remove an Instagram account you’ve added, with troubleshooting tips.
• How to permanently delete an Instagram account.
• NEW! Posting to multiple accounts from scheduling tools.
• NEW! How to switch Instagram accounts on desktop.

The purple banners will help you find a specific section. Read on!

How can I create another Instagram account?

You can create a new Instagram account while you’re logged into your current account.

If you’ve already created multiple Instagram accounts, you can simply connect them, so skip to the next section.

Here’s how to create a new Instagram account that will instantly be connected to your current one.

There are 12 steps, but they’re really easy:

1 | Open your current Instagram account.

2 | Go to your profile.

3 | Tap the 3 lines at top right.

4 | Tap the gear icon at the bottom for Settings.

5 | Scroll to the bottom. Tap Add Account.

6 | DON’T fill in the log in screen. At the bottom of the page, tap Sign up.

7 | You’ll see an option to use Facebook for sign-up. If you’re already using Facebook for your primary account, choose Sign Up With Phone or Email.

8 | Enter your Phone or Email NOT used by another account. *READ CAUTION BELOW!

9 | If you choose Email, you’ll confirm your new account later. Open the email from Instagram and select Confirm your email address.

10 | If you choose Phone, you’ll need to enter the verification number sent to your phone. Once you’ve entered the verification code, tap Next.

11 | Next you’ll add your Instagram profile photo, Name, and Password.

12 | The next step will be to create a unique username. You can include dots, dashes, or numbers.

You can skip the remaining steps for now.

You’re logged in to your new account, and can switch to your original account!

Here’s a short video demonstration of the process outlined above:

Can I create more than one account with the same email?

*DO NOT use the same email or phone for your second Instagram account.

Some readers have managed to do this and found themselves permanently locked out of the second account when they forgot their password. You MUST have different emails or phone numbers to recover your account!

And, per Instagram, “If you sign up with email, make sure you enter your email address correctly and choose an email address that only you can access. If you log out and forget your password, you’ll need to be able to access your email to get back into your Instagram account.”

Despite the introduction of “one login” in June 2019, Instagram STILL asserts:

An email address can only be associated with one Instagram account. source

More about “one login” further down.

How to add Instagram Account Switching to existing accounts

Account switching became available as part of Instagram version 7.15 for iOS and Android. First make sure your app is updated. If it IS and you still don’t have account switching, one user reported that deleting and reinstalling the app solved this issue.

You can add multiple Instagram accounts to switch between them without having to log out and log back in.

To add existing Instagram accounts:

• Go to your profile and tap your account name along the top.
• In the pop-up that opens, tap ‘Log Into Existing Account’.
• Once you have added the account, it will show in this pop-up (3rd pic).
• Tap the account you want to use to switch between them.

To switch between accounts you’ve added:

• Go to your profile.
• Tap your username at the very top of the screen.
• Tap the account you’d like to switch to.
• OR you can switch from any tab with a long-press your profile picture in the bottom left!

Note that you can add up to 5 accounts on one device. source

From now on, just tap your Instagram profile picture at the bottom of any panel to switch between accounts.

Once you have multiple accounts added, you’ll see your profile photo appear in places throughout the app so you can always tell which one you’re using at the moment. I noticed that my account name appears in the comment field so I’m sure which account I’m using. Nice!

Where do I add an Instagram account? I don’t have this option.

There’s another way to add an account to your existing one.

Tap the three lines in the top corner and then click ‘settings’.

Scroll all the way down. You’ll see an ‘add account’ option.

Tap, and you can create a new account or log into an existing one.

Can I use one login on multiple Instagram accounts?

Per Instagram, every account needs its own email address or phone number.

But once you’ve linked accounts, there’s the option to set up one account to log into all of them.

Be sure you do want to permanently link them, though! It could be tricky to separate them once linked.

Why NOT to use one login

It can be convenient – but there are a couple reasons you may regret setting it up.

Anyone who knows how to log into one account will also have access to all linked accounts.

Business access

You may want a business partner or social media manager to access your business IG, but not your personal one! If this might ever be a possibility, I recommend you avoid one login.

If you did it and now want to separate them, keep scrolling to the section below the next one.

Desktop access

Instagram says that each of your accounts will keep their individual login and password, which you can still use to log into each account separately. But if they share a password, more trouble ensues.

If accounts share a password, you’ll be able to access only the primary account on instagram.com.

How to set up one login

Sure you do want one login? Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the corner.

In the settings section, scroll right down.

Near the bottom, there’s a ‘login information’ option to select.

Here you can set up one login.

The next time you sign in with the login info you selected, you’ll also be logged into the accounts you added it to.

Can I disconnect a personal and business account on the same email address?

One login causing problems? Here’s what one reader, Deanna, had to say:

I have a personal Instagram account and created a business account linked to it using my iPhone under the same email/password combo.

I can only access the business account through the personal account on my iPhone. On my Mac, I can log into my personal account, but it does not allow access to my business account.

I would like to be able to log into my business account on my Mac. Is there a way to create separate login information (username and password) for my business account now that it’s already established and linked to my personal account?

Another reader left this option on October 7, 2020. This worked for him, though I can’t vouch for it – and as social media always changes, we can’t rely on this to be available in the future.

According to Linoy:

You should log out from it and then try to reset your password. You’ll get an email to reset it, after you pick a new one a reset the password for this account, you’ll be able to access both accounts – just with username and different passwords, even if it’s under the same email.

Note that your accounts that had previously shared a password will be unlinked – BUT you can relink them with the new password. According to Deanna:

When I went back to my phone, because I had changed my business account password, I was notified that the business page was unable to be accessed. I unlinked the business account from my personal account and then relinked them following the prompts and using the new business account username/password. They linked up just fine.

Hope this helps.

What about push notifications on multiple Instagram accounts?

If you’ve added multiple Instagram accounts, you may get push notifications from any account that has them turned on. This depends on when you last logged in and the number of devices that are logged in to an account.

How do I remove an Instagram account I’ve added?

To remove an Instagram accounts you’ve added, you need to go to your profile.

Tap the three lines in the corner and then click settings.

Scroll right to the bottom and select ‘log out’.

It will give you the option to select the account you want to log out of. Select this and you will be logged out.

My removed Instagram account is still showing!

If you’re still having problems, my wonderful readers have offered 3 different solutions.

Option 1:

1. Go log out of both accounts.
2. Then go back to the home page where you log in. It’ll show the extra account still.
3. The name will appear on the left and on the right will say log in for both.
4. Hold down on the page and next to the log in tab an X will appear. Hit the X.
5. It will prompt you that you will need all the info to log in again and ask if you’re certain.
6. Hit accept.

Here’s another solution a reader found when that didn’t work!

1. The X wasn’t active next to the account I wanted to remove.
2. I removed Instagram from my iPhone by holding down the icon and tapping the little x in the corner.
3. Then I re-downloaded the application from the App Store.
4. I logged into my main account with my username and password.
5. I went into settings and then to Add Account and added my second account again.

The third account is finally gone! PS. You have to be careful that you remember all of your usernames and passwords for this fix.

Plus, a third solution provided February 2019:

Here are the steps for removing an account from showing in your list that you’ve already deleted.

1. Make sure you know the passwords for all your accounts.
2. Log out of all your accounts.
3. On the home page of the IG app, tap, Manage accounts.
4. An X will appear next to the account name, tap that to remove the account you no longer want to appear.
5. To remove another account, repeat step 4.
6. Now you’ll be able to create / add new accounts.

If this isn’t working for you, use the Report a Problem feature in your account settings.

Unfortunately I can’t provide additional assistance, because I haven’t experienced this problem myself. Would love to get your insights if you’ve been able to solve it!

How to permanently delete an Instagram account

The instructions below are to permanently delete an Instagram account via computer.

Permanently deleting your Instagram account cannot be undone!

After you delete your account, you can’t sign up again with the same username or add that username to another account. Instagram can’t reactivate deleted accounts.

When you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed.

If you’d prefer to take a break, you can temporarily disable your account instead.

If you’re sure you wish to permanently delete, log in at Instagram.com. You can’t delete your account from within the Instagram app on your mobile device.

To permanently delete your account:

• Go to the Delete Your Account page. If you’re not logged into Instagram on the web, you’ll be asked to log in first.
• Select an option from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? and re-enter your password. The option to permanently delete your account will only appear after you’ve selected a reason from the menu.
• Click or tap Permanently delete my account.
• If you’d like to delete a different account, click the username in the top-right of the Delete Your Account page, tap/click on next to username and select Log Out. Log back in as the account you want to delete and follow the directions above.

Can I delete an Instagram account via my mobile device?

According to Instagram, as of November 2019 this is NOT an option.

However a reader left a comment that sounds like she was able to.

Proceed with caution! I have not tried this and can’t be responsible for your results.

Heather said:

Once you log out of ALL your accounts, when you go to log back in you can “manage accounts” and delete them separately.

Can Instagram delete my account for me?

For security reasons, Instagram can’t delete an account for you. You’ll need to be able to log into your account to delete it. If you can’t remember your password or username, here are tips for logging in. source

Posting from scheduling tools

When you use an approved scheduling tool like Tailwind or Later, it is important to be logged into the right account on your app for some types of posts.

For example, Stories and carousel posts still need to be posted manually. So, when you click a notification from the scheduling app to post, you need to be logged into the right Instagram account on the app first.

Check this before you tap on the scheduler app notification!

Managing multiple accounts on desktop

Because desktop doesn’t have an app, it isn’t as easy to switch between accounts.

Rather than switching, you have to log out and log in again to another account. Which can get pretty confusing!

If you are a Google Chrome user, there’s a quick tip to make the process easier – ‘people’.

In the top corner of your Chrome browser, there’s a picture or icon of you. This represents your account.

Tap on this and some options appear for your account settings.

At the bottom is ‘other people’. If anyone else has a login saved on your Chrome, their picture will appear here.

At the bottom, there are two options: ‘guest’ and ‘add’.

Click the add button and a screen opens.

Give the ‘person’ a name – if you have more than one business, you could call it after that. Or use ‘personal’ for a personal Instagram account.

You can give the person an icon to help you spot which one is which.

A new window will open as if you had never used Chrome before.

Now log into Instagram. If you want to use your personal account but have your main Chrome browser logged into your business one, use the personal login info.

Chrome will ask you if you want to save the password – click yes but don’t sync with other profiles.

Now to get into your personal account without logging in and out, click your picture on Chrome and select the ‘person’ you just made.

Go to Instagram and you will see your personal account.

This also works for things like Pinterest too if you have more than one account.

Wrapping Up

We covered all this:

• How to create another Instagram account.
• How to add Instagram Account Switching to existing accounts.
• How to enable one login for all your linked accounts.
• Push notifications on multiple Instagram accounts.
• How to remove an Instagram account you’ve added, with troubleshooting tips.
• How to permanently delete an Instagram account.
• Posting to multiple accounts from scheduling tools.
• How to switch Instagram accounts on desktop.

Missed something? Need the details? Look for the purple banners above.

This is a long-awaited feature that I use daily.

Have you tried Instagram account switching yet?

Once you’ve set up another Instagram account, be sure to check out how to grow your Instagram followers 11 ways!