Why Facebook and Instagram ask you to connect them
Facebook owns Instagram. When you connect the two accounts, you give Facebook permission to treat your Instagram data and activity as part of your larger Facebook profile. This means your Instagram followers, posts, messages, and browsing behaviour can be linked to your Facebook account and used together for targeting ads, building your profile, and training recommendation systems.
The connection is optional — you can use Instagram without linking it to Facebook. But Instagram will still collect data about you; linking just makes that data visible to Facebook's advertising and analytics systems as a single combined profile rather than two separate ones.
Understanding what happens when you connect them helps you decide whether the convenience is worth the trade-off in how much of your activity gets pooled together.
Key Takeaways
- Connecting Facebook and Instagram links your activity across both platforms so Facebook can use that combined data for ads and recommendations.
- You can manage which data gets shared between the accounts through your privacy settings, even after you connect them.
- The connection is reversible — you can unlink the accounts at any time through your Instagram settings.
- Linking the accounts does not automatically share your posts or followers between platforms unless you choose to do so.
- Instagram collects data whether or not you connect to Facebook, but linking makes that data available to Facebook's ad targeting system.
How to connect your Instagram account to Facebook
On Instagram, go to your profile and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines). Select Settings and privacy, then Accounts and passwords. Tap Linked accounts and select Facebook. Instagram will ask you to log into your Facebook account and confirm that you want to link the two. Once you confirm, the accounts are connected.
If you are using Instagram on a computer, the path is the same: profile menu, Settings and privacy, Accounts and passwords, Linked accounts, then Facebook. You will be taken to a Facebook login screen, and after you log in, you will see a confirmation page listing what data the connection will share.
The connection happens when ready. You do not need to do anything else — Instagram and Facebook will begin treating your activity as linked data.
What data gets shared when you connect the accounts
When you connect Instagram to Facebook, the two platforms share your profile information (name, email, phone number if you provided it), your activity (posts, stories, reels, who you follow, who follows you), and your interactions (likes, comments, messages). Facebook also gains access to your Instagram browsing history — what accounts you visit, what content you look at, how long you spend on different posts.
This combined data is used to build a more complete picture of you for ad targeting. If you search for running shoes on Instagram, Facebook can use that behaviour to show you running shoe ads on Facebook. If you like fitness content on Facebook, Instagram can use that to recommend fitness accounts to follow.
You can limit what gets shared by going to Settings and privacy on Instagram, then Apps and websites, finding Facebook, and adjusting which permissions you grant. You can also turn off ad targeting based on your activity by going to Settings and privacy, then Ads, and selecting Ad preferences. These settings do not disconnect the accounts — they just reduce what data Facebook can use.
The difference between connecting accounts and cross-posting
Connecting your accounts does not automatically post your Instagram content to Facebook or vice versa. The connection is about data sharing behind the scenes, not about publishing the same content to both platforms at once.
If you want to post the same photo or video to both Instagram and Facebook simultaneously, you can do that by tapping the share button after you create a post on Instagram and selecting Also share to, then choosing Facebook. But this is a separate choice you make for each post — it is not automatic just because the accounts are linked.
Some business accounts use this feature to save time posting to multiple platforms. Personal accounts usually do not, because the audiences and norms are different. A photo that works on Instagram might not work the same way on Facebook.
How to unlink your accounts if you change your mind
If you decide you do not want your Instagram and Facebook accounts connected, you can disconnect them. On Instagram, go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select Settings and privacy, then Accounts and passwords. Tap Linked accounts, select Facebook, and tap Unlink account. Confirm that you want to unlink.
Unlinking the accounts stops the data sharing when ready. Your posts, followers, and messages stay on Instagram — nothing is deleted. But Facebook will no longer have access to your new Instagram activity, and Instagram will no longer use your Facebook activity to recommend content or target ads to you.
If you have been using the cross-post feature (posting to both platforms at once), unlinking will not delete the posts you already shared to both platforms. It just stops you from being able to do it going forward.
Privacy settings to adjust after connecting
After you connect your accounts, you have several privacy controls worth reviewing. In Instagram's Settings and privacy, go to Ads and check Ad preferences. Here you can see the categories Facebook has assigned to you based on your activity and remove ones you do not want used for targeting. You can also turn off ads based on your activity across Facebook and Instagram by toggling off Ads based on your activity on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also control who sees your Instagram profile by going to Settings and privacy, then Privacy. If you set your account to private, only people you approve can follow you and see your posts. This does not stop Facebook from collecting data about your activity, but it does limit who on Instagram can see it.
Neither of these settings disconnects your accounts. They just reduce how much of your data gets used for ads and who can see your profile. If you want to stop the data sharing entirely, you need to unlink the accounts.
What happens to your data if you unlink later
When you unlink your Instagram and Facebook accounts, Facebook does not delete the data it already collected while the accounts were linked. It keeps that historical data and can continue to use it for ads and recommendations. Unlinking only stops new data from being shared going forward.
If you want Facebook to delete the data it collected from your Instagram activity, you would need to contact Facebook directly through its data deletion request process. This is separate from unlinking. You can request that Facebook delete your data by going to your Facebook settings, selecting Your information, then read your information or Delete your account and information. Facebook has different rules about what it can delete and what it must keep for legal reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will connecting my accounts post my Instagram photos to Facebook automatically?
No. Connecting the accounts links your data behind the scenes but does not automatically share your posts. You can choose to post to both platforms at once when you create a post, but this is optional for each individual post.
Can I connect Instagram to Facebook if I do not have a Facebook account?
No. You need an active Facebook account to link Instagram to it. If you do not have a Facebook account, you can still use Instagram — it just will not be connected to Facebook's systems.
Does unlinking my accounts delete my Instagram posts or followers?
No. Unlinking only stops the data sharing between the platforms. Your Instagram posts, followers, and messages all stay exactly as they are. Nothing is deleted from either account.
Can I control which specific data gets shared between Instagram and Facebook?
Partially. You can adjust ad preferences and turn off activity-based targeting after linking. But you cannot pick and choose individual data types — the connection shares your profile information, activity, and interactions as a package. To stop all sharing, you need to unlink the accounts.
What if I linked my accounts by accident?
You can unlink them when ready through your Instagram settings. Go to Settings and privacy, Accounts and passwords, Linked accounts, select Facebook, and tap Unlink account. The process takes less than a minute.