Where to find the email setting on Instagram
Your email address on Instagram lives in your account settings, separate from the email address you use to log in. To reach it, open Instagram and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Then tap Settings and privacy, then Account center, then Personal information. You will see your email listed there.
If you are on a computer, click your profile picture in the bottom left, select Settings and privacy, then Account center, then Personal information. The layout is the same as on your phone, just accessed through a web browser instead.
The email you see here is what Instagram uses to contact you about your account — password resets, security alerts, and notifications you have turned on. It is not necessarily the email you use to log in, though it often is the same one.
Key Takeaways
- Your Instagram email is found under Settings and privacy > Account center > Personal information, and it is separate from your login email.
- You can change your email to any address you own and can access, but Instagram will send a confirmation link to the new address before the change takes effect.
- If you change the email but forget the password, you will need access to the new email to reset it, so make sure the new address works first.
- Changing your email does not log you out of Instagram on any of your devices, so you can stay logged in while you make the change.
The steps to change your email
Once you are in Personal information, tap or click on the email field. Instagram will show you the current email and a box where you can type a new one. Type the new email address you want to use — it must be an email you actually own and can access, because Instagram will send a confirmation link there.
After you type the new email, tap or click Next. Instagram will send a confirmation email to the new address. Open that email and click the confirmation link inside it. Once you click the link, the change is complete and your new email is now attached to your account.
The whole process usually takes less than five minutes if you have access to both email accounts. If you do not receive the confirmation email within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder — sometimes email providers filter Instagram's messages by mistake.
What happens if you use the wrong email
If you type an email address that you do not own or cannot access, Instagram will send the confirmation link there and you will not be able to click it. The email will not change, and you will stay stuck with your old one. If this happens, go back to Personal information and try again with an email address you can actually reach.
If you typed a new email but realize you made a typo (for example, gmial.com instead of gmail.com), you can change it again when ready. There is no waiting period between changes, so you can fix the mistake right away by going back to the same menu and entering the correct address.
Changing your login email versus your account email
Instagram has two separate email settings that confuse many people. The account email (what you just changed) is what Instagram uses to contact you. The login email is the email address you type into the login screen when you open Instagram on a new device.
You can change your login email separately if you want. To do this, go to Settings and privacy > Account center > Password and security > Email address. This is where you set which email you use to log in. You can have a different login email and account email if you choose, though most people keep them the same for simplicity.
If you change your login email but forget your password later, you will need access to whichever email is set as your login email to reset it. This is why it matters to use an email you actually check regularly.
When you cannot access your old email anymore
If your old email account no longer exists or you no longer have access to it, you can still change your Instagram email — you just cannot use the confirmation link method. Instead, go to Settings and privacy > Account center > Password and security > Email address and enter your new email there. Instagram may ask you to confirm your identity by other means, such as answering security questions or uploading a photo of your ID.
If Instagram asks for additional verification, follow the prompts on screen. The verification process exists to make sure someone is not trying to take over your account, so be honest and complete with whatever information Instagram requests. Once you are verified, your new email will be set without needing a confirmation link from the old address.
Why you might want to change your email
People change their Instagram email for several reasons. You might have created an account with an old email you no longer use, or you might want to switch to a professional email now that you use Instagram for business. You might also change it if you are concerned about security — using a different email for Instagram than for other accounts can reduce the damage if one email gets compromised.
Another common reason is that you are sharing device access with someone else and want to use a different email so they cannot easily reset your password. Changing your email does not log you out on devices where you are already signed in, so you can make the change without interrupting your access.
What to do after you change your email
After your new email is confirmed, Instagram will send you a notification to both your old and new email addresses confirming that the change was made. This is a security feature — if someone else changed your email without permission, you would see that notification on your old email and could undo the change when ready.
If you see a confirmation email that you did not request, tap or click the link in that email to undo the change. You have a limited time to undo it (usually 24 hours), so act quickly if you think your account was compromised. After that window closes, the new email becomes permanent and you would need to change it again through the settings menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to change my login email when I change my account email?
No. Your account email and login email are separate settings. You can change one without touching the other. Most people keep them the same for simplicity, but Instagram lets you use different emails for each if you prefer.
Will changing my email log me out of Instagram?
No. You will stay logged in on all your devices. Changing your email does not affect your login status — it only changes where Instagram sends notifications and password reset links.
What if I do not receive the confirmation email?
Check your spam or junk folder first — email providers sometimes filter Instagram's messages. If it is not there, wait a few minutes and try again. Make sure you typed the new email address correctly, because Instagram can only send the confirmation to the address you entered.
Can I change my email back to the old one?
Yes. You can change your email as many times as you want. Just go back to Settings and privacy > Account center > Personal information and enter your old email address. Instagram will send a confirmation link to that old email, and once you click it, the change is complete.
What if I forget my password after changing my email?
Go to the Instagram login screen and tap Forgot password? Enter your username or the new email address you just set. Instagram will send a password reset link to that new email. If you no longer have access to the new email, you will need to use Instagram's account recovery process, which may require additional verification.