How to change private account in instagram
How to Switch Your Instagram Account to Private
Instagram offers users a feature to make their accounts and content visible to a limited number of people. If you want to share your content with only your followers, you should switch to a private Instagram account.
A private account only shows posts, stories, and follower lists to people approved and added by the account owner. You can convert your public account or an Instagram business profile to a private one with a few simple steps.
How to Switch Your Public Instagram to Private
When you create an Instagram account, it is public by default. Changing a public account to a private one does not have much impact on your profile except accessibility to those not on your follower list.
Follow these steps if you have decided to switch your public Instagram account to private:
- Open Instagram and tap the Profile icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of your profile to open a menu.
- From there, select Settings.
- Scroll until you see Privacy.
- Under the Account Privacy section, toggle the Private Account tab to turn it on.
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The settings are saved automatically. You can change your account privacy settings whenever you want without any restrictions.
Once your account is private, you will see a Follow Requests section in your Notifications. People not already on your Followers list won’t be able to see your Instagram posts. Though, they can still message you on Instagram.
After changing the settings, you can try some tips to make your account more private for enhanced security.
How to Switch Your Instagram Business Account to Private
An Instagram business account has added features you don’t see in public or private Instagram accounts.
Instagram business accounts are mainly used by content creators and entrepreneurs.
You can switch your business account to personal and keep it open to the public or make it completely private. But to make it private, you need to revert to a personal account first. Follow these steps to switch your Instagram business account to private.
- Tap your Instagram Profile icon.
- Open a menu using the three horizontal lines in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Go to Account and then switch your account type. You cannot switch a business profile to private.
- From Switch account type, choose Switch to personal account. Your account will remain public, but it will no longer contain business features.
- Next, open the Privacy section from Settings.
- Under Account Privacy, you will see an option to switch to a private account.
Toggle the Private Account tab to make your Instagram account private.
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Your business account activities will be affected once you change your privacy. Instagram will not show you your business analytics and post performances.
You will also lose monetization support after changing your privacy settings. Moreover, verified Instagram accounts also lose the blue tick. Your inbox will no longer contain filters and message organization tools.
Instagram does not revert completely if you switch your private Instagram account back to a business one. Your previous post analytics won’t be available, so you’ll need to share new posts to analyze your progress.
Users who wish to keep certain things private while running a successful Instagram business account should consider making multiple Instagram accounts with different privacy settings.
Enhance Your Privacy by Switching to a Private Instagram Account
A private Instagram account ensures that your content is shared with limited people, and you have complete control over who follows you on Instagram.
You can make your Instagram account private with just a few steps.
Users with a public account can switch to a private one without compromising on any features. On the other hand, business accounts have analytics and engagement summary features that are no longer available once switched to a private Instagram account.
How to Change an Instagram Profile From Private to Public | Small Business
By Ashley Donohoe Updated January 19, 2021
When you made an Instagram profile to showcase your company or interact with other professionals in your field, you may have initially opted for a personal account that you can choose to make private or public. While having an Instagram private account offers some security benefits, you might prefer to go public to make your content accessible to more users. Fortunately, Instagram makes it easy to switch your account from private to public. You also have the option to switch to a professional public account that can provide you with marketing and analytical tools.
Comparing Instagram Account Types
Instagram offers both personal and professional accounts, and the privacy options and account features differ for these types.
MailUp mentions that some businesses might forego the professional account since it doesn't have a private option. Instead, they might prefer a personal Instagram account and make it private to protect their privacy, reduce spam and filter followers. However, Instagram public professional accounts include extras such as a contact button, permissions for others to help manage the account, and marketing analytical tools that aren't available for personal accounts.
While public accounts of any type are visible to any non-blocked user and make it easy to reach a large audience, private accounts require a follower request to view. Instagram warns some private posts can still be spread around the web since followers might take a screenshot or download the images and post them online for others to see.
Changing Your Profile to Public
To change your personal Instagram private account to public, Instagram advises you to use either the Instagram website or app. If you have multiple Instagram accounts for your work, be sure to switch to the right one before proceeding with the following steps based on your device:
- Instagram mobile website: Go to your profile tab and click the gear icon on the top of the page. Go to "Privacy and Security" and uncheck the "Private Account" box.
- Instagram mobile app: As with the mobile website, go to your profile tab but proceed by selecting the "Settings" option from the hamburger menu on the top of the app screen. The "Settings" option brings up a list of options where you'll see one for "Privacy." You can then clear the "Private Account" box.
- Instagram desktop website: Click your profile image on the top of the page to show the "Settings" option. Go to the "Privacy and Security" option to find the "Private Account" check box and clear it.
Regardless of which device you use, you'll see a confirmation message in which you need to OK the change to make your Instagram account public. Keep in mind that you can go back to the same check box at any time to set a personal account to private again if you change your mind.
Upgrading to a Professional Account
If you want to move forward with a professional Instagram account, select the "Account" option from the "Settings" in the Instagram app; this feature isn't available through the mobile or desktop website. You'll find an option there to set up or switch to a professional account. If you proceed, you can expect to walk through several steps for filling out your new business profile and linking it to your Facebook page if you have one.
Viewing an Instagram Private Account
If you're on the other side as a user who wants to view someone's private account, Business Insider notes that the easiest option is to use the profile's "Follow" button to send a request to get access.
Other options include running a search for the person's Instagram account name to see if any photos have been posted elsewhere or have someone you know who is a follower show you the post.
While you might see a website or app that claims to be a private Instagram viewer, beware of using such a tool. Upleap warns that a private Instagram profile viewer might be a scam that steals your information or infects your device. Even if you gain access to the private profile with one of these services, the images may be low quality or blurry.
References
- Instagram: About Professional Accounts
- Instagram: How Do I Set My Instagram Account to Private So That Only Approved Followers Can See What I Share?
- Instagram: Privacy Settings & Information
- MailUp: Good and Bad Things About Using a Private Instagram Account for Branding
- Business Insider: How to View a Private Instagram Account in a Few Different Ways – Though the Best Way Is to Just Send a Follow Request
- Upleap: Should You Use a Private Instagram Viewer?
- Instagram: Set Up a Business Account on Instagram
Writer Bio
Ashley Donohoe started writing professionally online in 2010.
Having a Master of Business Administration degree and experience running a small business, she is knowledgeable in the issues and decisions that small business owners face. Other places featuring her business writing include JobHero, LoveToKnow, Bizfluent, PocketSense and Study.com.
Instructions on how to switch to a personal account on Instagram
Table of contents:
- 1 Why switch to a personal account? Pros and cons
- 2 Instructions on how to switch to a personal account on Instagram
- 3 Alternative
- 4 Why can't I switch to a personal account?
- 5 Questions from our readers
Instagram already has such a high-quality and extensive functionality that it is impossible to predict what it can bring to users with its updates. After all, all updates, one way or another, make the application easier and more interesting. A few years ago, Instagram created a new feature for those who are engaged in advertising or some kind of promotion of goods and services.
The account was divided into two types: personal and business. The second type gave many new functions, but had a huge minus - it cannot be closed from prying eyes. Therefore, if you are in a hurry to transfer your profile to the business category, and do not know how to return the usual one, we will tell you how to switch to a personal account on Instagram.
Why switch to a personal account? Pros and cons
There can be many reasons for switching from one type of account to another. But first of all, we will analyze what a personal account is.
A personal profile is a place where only you and your life are. The rules here are set by you, you decide what to post, to whom to open access to him, to whom not. A business account, on the other hand, will make you be in the public eye. Here it will not be possible to close the profile at will. That is, with a business account, you become completely public.
Personal page and its advantages:
- If your sale comes from a personal profile, you will have more buyers, because people will know that you are a real person, that is, the level of trust and loyalty will be much higher.
Everyone will see that you are a person and that you are behind it all. - A personal account will not prevent you from posting whatever you want. For example, if you want to post a family photo or something like that, you can safely upload it. Even in the queue after your product. The main thing is not to forget about aesthetics.
- You can make your account closed at any time, there is no such option in a work account.
Cons:
- You won't be able to analyze your data as there will be no statistics. Access to reach, attendance, and all other profile data will also be denied. There are no different ways to contact you if necessary, that is, there will be no communication buttons.
- Promotion of publications and launch of promotions will also be impossible.
Instructions on how to switch to a personal account on Instagram
To return your personal profile, follow the instructions below:
- Login to your account and go to Settings.
- Open the "Account" section.
- Click on "Switch to personal account" and confirm your intention.
Done, now the account is yours again and you can close it from prying eyes!
Alternative
What is the main difference between a business and a personal profile? If you want to share photos only with your loved ones, if it is important for you whether a closed or open account, then a personal account will be more convenient for you, since you will not have such a choice with a business account. You will have to be a public figure, people will subscribe and unsubscribe, see all your posts and so on. But you definitely need to choose one thing, because if you post posts related to both work and life, then the appearance of the account will be in a terrible state. But what if you need privacy, but need the features of a business account to work?
The answer is simple, you can create two accounts.
Instagram will allow you to create 5 accounts from one phone. So you don't have to sacrifice anything. You will have a work account and a personal profile for you to post to your friends. In addition, you can maintain both accounts, thereby dividing your personal life from your work life. You will only need a new mail, and everything else during registration can be left the same.
Why can't I switch to a personal account?
Many users often experience this problem. The reasons may be different:
- You need to check your Facebook business account. Check if the page is blocked. If yes, then unlink this account from Instagram.
- There is a possibility that you have not completed promotions and advertisements, which makes it impossible to switch to a personal account.
- There is also the possibility that your application is simply buggy - reload it.
If none of the methods helped you, then in this case it is better to contact technical support.
Questions from our readers
#1. I can’t switch to a personal account, it says that I should stop the promotion. But I don't have any promotions and never had.
First, unlink your account from Facebook, and then try switching to your personal profile again.
#2. If I switch to a personal account, will the old statistics still be available?
No, all data will disappear, as will the statistics section itself.
#3. How do I switch to a personal profile and save analytics data?
The standard functionality does not provide for this. But you can screenshot the stats and then switch to your personal account.
Ask your questions and leave your opinion in the comments! Also, watch the helpful video tutorial below.
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How to get back to your Instagram account
Instagram has many convenient features for those who use the platform for business purposes. You can easily track engagement rates and other analytics and have your followers support you with a small business tag in their stories.
What do you get by switching to your personal account?
Now you know that you will lose access to information if you use your personal Instagram account. But is there anything to gain by giving up a business or creator account? Is there a benefit to switching to a non-professional Instagram account?
Unlike creator and business accounts on this platform, personal accounts have the option to lock the profile and allow only selected users to view content.
Thus, the best thing you will get when you switch to a personal account is privacy. You can control who follows you by allowing or blocking someone's request.
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If you want to make your Instagram profile private, here's what to do:
- Open Instagram and click on your profile picture to open your profile.
- Tap the hamburger icon or swipe left to open the main menu.
- Click on settings.
- Select the "Privacy" section and in the "Connections" section, click "Account Privacy".
- Toggle the switch to make your profile private and confirm with OK. You can follow the same steps if you want to publish them again.
Aren't creators and business accounts the same?
So, it is clear why a personal account is specific and how it differs from professional accounts. But what is the difference between Creator and Business accounts?
They have the same options as listed under Creator or Business in Settings, but they are not essentially the same.
Below are the main differences. Knowing these facts can help you decide whether to change your profile to Creator or Business.
Creator profiles are more human than businesslike. Many influencers use this type of profile because it gives them more options than a personal account, such as ideas. Plus, they don't have a business. Creator accounts can view subscriptions and unsubscriptions for a specific day and view daily messages to track growth more effectively.
When you switch to a Creator account, you can choose which category you belong to. These categories are now more specific, so you can classify yourself as a blogger, author, chef, trainer, video maker, and more. You can show this category to your followers if you want - it's very convenient because new people on your profile will immediately know what you're doing.
If you select a business profile, you will see that, for example, you can check analytics about your posts and your community. What's more, you can promote posts and stories as advertisements and finally stop using your bio to exchange links with your followers.
