How to change your Instagram account to personal
You can switch your Instagram account from a business or creator account back to a personal account in your settings. The process takes about two minutes and you do not lose your followers, posts, or messages. Once you switch, you lose access to Instagram's business tools like insights and contact buttons, but you regain the ability to see who viewed your profile and use certain features that personal accounts have.
The steps are the same whether you are on iPhone, Android, or a computer. Open Instagram, go to your profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select Settings and privacy, then Account type and tools. Choose Personal account, and Instagram will ask you to confirm. After you confirm, your account converts when ready.
Key Takeaways
- Switching to a personal account takes two minutes and does not delete your followers, posts, or message history.
- You lose access to business features like insights, contact buttons, and scheduling tools when you switch.
- Personal accounts can see who viewed their profile, while business accounts cannot.
- You can switch back to a business or creator account at any time using the same settings menu.
What you lose when you switch to personal
Instagram's business and creator accounts come with tools that personal accounts do not have. The most useful one is insights, which shows you how many people saw each post, when your followers are most active, and which posts got the most engagement. If you use Instagram to track how your content performs, switching to personal means you lose that data going forward.
You also lose the ability to add contact buttons to your profile — the email, phone, or message buttons that let people reach you directly from your profile without sending a DM. If you use your Instagram for business or to let people book appointments or contact you, you will need to find another way to share that information, like putting a link in your bio.
Business accounts cannot see who viewed their profile, but personal accounts can. If you want to know who is looking at your profile, switching to personal gives you that. You also regain the ability to use certain features that Instagram restricts on business accounts, like the ability to see the exact time someone was last active.
Step-by-step instructions for all devices
On iPhone or Android: Open Instagram and tap your profile icon at the bottom right. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top right. Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy. Tap Account type and tools. Tap Personal account. Read the information about what you are losing, then tap Switch to personal. Instagram will confirm that your account has been changed.
On a computer: Go to Instagram.com and log in. Click your profile icon at the top right and select Settings. Click Account type and tools on the left side. Click Personal account. Review the information and click Switch to personal. Your account changes when ready.
After you switch, refresh your app or reload the page. Your profile will no longer show the business label, and the business tools will disappear from your menu. If you change your mind, you can switch back to a business or creator account using the exact same steps — just select Business account or Creator account instead of Personal account.
When to keep a business account instead
If you use Instagram to promote something — a small business, a service, a podcast, or content you create — keeping a business account usually makes more sense than switching to personal. The insights tell you what is working and what is not, which helps you decide what to post next. The contact buttons make it easier for customers or fans to reach you.
Business accounts also let you schedule posts in advance using Meta Business Suite, which personal accounts cannot do. If you post regularly and want to plan your content ahead of time, a business account saves you time. You can also run ads from a business account, which personal accounts cannot do.
The trade-off is that you cannot see who viewed your profile and you lose a few minor features. For most people who use Instagram just to share with friends, those trade-offs do not matter. For anyone using Instagram as a tool for work or a project, the business tools usually outweigh the loss of those features.
What happens to your followers and posts
Switching your account type does not delete anything. Your followers stay. Your posts stay. Your messages stay. Your follower count does not change. The only visible change is that the "Business" or "Creator" label disappears from your profile, and the business tools vanish from your menu.
People who follow you will not be notified that you switched account types. Your profile will look slightly different to them — they will no longer see the contact button or the hours of operation if you had those set up — but your bio, profile picture, and all your posts remain exactly as they were.
Switching back to business or creator later
If you switch to personal and later decide you want the business tools back, you can switch back whenever you want. Use the same steps: go to Settings and privacy, tap Account type and tools, and choose Business account or Creator account. Instagram will ask you to confirm again, and you will have access to insights and contact buttons when ready.
The only thing to know is that if you had insights turned on before, Instagram does not restore the old data. You will start collecting new insights from the moment you switch back. Your followers and posts are still there, but the historical data about how many people saw your posts before you switched is gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my followers when I switch to a personal account?
No. Your followers, posts, messages, and profile information all stay exactly as they are. The only thing that changes is that you lose access to business tools like insights and contact buttons. You can switch back to a business account at any time.
Can I see who viewed my profile if I switch to personal?
Yes. Personal accounts can see a list of people who viewed their profile in the last 30 days. Business and creator accounts cannot see this information. This is one of the few features that personal accounts have that business accounts do not.
What if I use Instagram for my small business?
Switching to personal is usually not a good idea if you use Instagram for business. You lose insights, which help you understand what your customers want to see, and you lose contact buttons that make it straightforward for people to reach you. Consider keeping a business account instead.
Will my followers know I switched to a personal account?
Your followers will not receive a notification. They may notice that the business label is gone from your profile and that contact buttons have disappeared, but they will not be told that you switched account types.
Can I switch back to a business account after switching to personal?
Yes. You can switch back and forth between personal, business, and creator accounts as many times as you want using the same settings menu. Your followers and posts stay with you each time you switch.