Managing multiple Instagram accounts can be scary. What if you post to the wrong account? What if you get locked out of one of them?
Do you manage multiple Instagram accounts? If so, you know that it can be a pain to keep track of them all. Not to mention, if you use the same email address for all of your accounts, you have to constantly log in and out just to switch between them.
But what if I told you there was an Instagram hack that lets you manage multiple accounts with just one email?
It’s true! With a little bit of setup, you can easily add and manage several Instagram accounts from a single email address. Follow this guide to find out everything you need to know about running multiple Instagram accounts—and how to avoid posting to the wrong one.
Yes, you can have multiple Instagram accounts! In fact, you can now add up to five accounts and quickly switch between them without having to log out and log back in.
This feature is included in version 7.15 and above for iOS and Android and will work on any Instagram app using that software.
If you’re working with a later version, or simply want to manage more than five accounts at once, a social media dashboard like Hootsuite allows you to manage even more Instagram accounts and share the management responsibilities with other team members.
You can also have multiple YouTube channels, multiple Facebook pages, and multiple Twitter accounts. Check out the linked resources for more info there.
You can create multiple Instagram accounts on your phone right from the Instagram app.
To create a new Instagram account follow these steps:
You’re all set!
Once your accounts are set up, tap Add Account and then Log in to Existing Account. From there you can enter the login information for the account you want to add.
Tap Log In, and your new account will be available through your main Instagram profile page.
Now that you know how to create a new Instagram account, you’re probably wondering how to switch between them.
To switch between multiple Instagram accounts:
Note: You will stay logged in to the last account you used on Instagram. Before posting or engaging with new content, always check to make sure you’re using the right account.
Once you’ve set up more than one Instagram account, you’ll want to manage them all efficiently. Here’s how to do it from your phone.
If you are simply looking to start a branded Instagram account for your side hustle, alongside your personal account, and want to easily switch back and forth between the two, the Instagram app itself might be enough to suit your needs.
With your new Instagram accounts set up, you can now post to any of the accounts you have added to the Instagram app. Simply select the account you want to use from the drop-down menu in your profile, and start posting as usual.
You can always tell which account you’re using by looking at the profile photo. The profile photo can be quite small in some views, so choose distinct photos to make sure you always post to the right account.
Here’s what it looks like in Story view.
Here’s what it looks like when posting to your feed.
Using a social media management platform like Hootsuite, you can easily manage all of your social media accounts (including one or more Instagram accounts) from your computer. Hootsuite also provides access to advanced features like bulk scheduling and detailed analytics.
The first step to using multiple Instagram accounts in Hootsuite is to add them to your dashboard. Here’s how to get them set up using the Hootsuite mobile app.
To view your Instagram accounts at a glance and switch between them easily, add your posts for each account as a stream in the Hootsuite dashboard.
Now you know how to view all your Instagram accounts on Hootsuite, so you can easily switch between them.
You can use Hootsuite to post to any of the Instagram accounts you have added to your Hootsuite dashboard.
Here’s how to get started.
If you choose Post Now, the post will publish directly to your Instagram account. If you choose Auto Schedule, it will post at the most optimized time. Custom Schedule lets you choose the date and time to post.
To switch to a different Instagram account, return to step 1 and choose a different account.
Learn more about publishing to Instagram accounts using Hootsuite here:
By now you’re probably wondering, how do I manage multiple Instagram accounts on my desktop?
If you’re managing multiple business accounts, it’s a good idea to use the Hootsuite dashboard for your posts, rather than managing your accounts directly within the Instagram app.
For one thing, the Instagram desktop app is not as proficient as the mobile app. If you want to manage several Instagram accounts on Instagram for desktop, you’ll need to log out and in every time you want to use a different account.
Not to mention, the Instagram app is limited to managing 5 Instagram accounts, including both business and personal accounts. But on Hootsuite, business users can add up to 35 social profiles to their dashboards.
As well, managing multiple business Instagram accounts in Hootsuite also allows you to collaborate with team members and access advanced analytics from the same platform you use to manage and measure your other social accounts.
If you want to learn how to manage multiple business Instagram accounts, you need to make sure each of your Instagram accounts is connected to a Facebook Page.
If you haven’t yet connected your account, you’ll be prompted to do so. You’ll need to enter your Instagram account details. Once you’re logged in, you’re ready to connect to Hootsuite. More info on that below.
If you’re using Meta’s new pages experience, follow these steps to connect your Instagram for business account.
Now you can add your Instagram business accounts to Hootsuite. Simply navigate to your Hootsuite dashboard on desktop, log in, and click Add social account at the top of your Streams view.
Repeat these steps for each Instagram business account you want to add to Hootsuite.
Watch this video for a visual walkthrough.
Log into your Hootsuite dashboard and click on the Composer icon. Then, choose Post.
In Composer, choose the Instagram accounts you want to publish to. You can choose multiple accounts, or just one.
Add your copy, images, videos, and any relevant tags to your post.
From there, you can choose to post right now or schedule your post for later. Be sure to use the best times to post when scheduling content in the future.
As we said before, the Instagram desktop version isn’t ideal for managing multiple accounts. If you’re looking for a simple solution for managing Instagram on a desktop, try Facebook’s free dashboard, Creator Studio.
Creator Studio makes it possible to post and schedule content to multiple accounts and access Instagram Insights from desktop and mobile.
To connect to Instagram in Creator Studio, follow these steps:
That’s it!
If your Instagram account is connected to a Facebook Page, the process may look a little different depending on the relationship between your Facebook Page and Instagram account.
If you have push notifications for several Instagram accounts turned on, you will get notifications for all of them on your mobile device.
Each notification will indicate the relevant account name in brackets before the content of the notification.
Tapping a notification will take you directly to the relevant Instagram account, regardless of which account you last used.
If you’re using Instagram and a notification comes in from one of your other accounts, you will see the notification at the top of your screen.
If you’re managing multiple Instagram accounts on one device, it might be overwhelming to have them all sending push notifications. Fortunately, you can adjust the push notifications for each of your Instagram accounts separately.
Here’s how to change your notification settings on Instagram:
At some point, you might want to remove one of your Instagram accounts from the app.
Why? Since you can manage a maximum of five accounts from the Instagram app, you might want to remove an account in order to make room to add a new one.
Or, maybe you’re no longer working on a particular account and simply want to make sure you don’t post to it accidentally.
Here’s how to remove an Instagram account on your phone:
When you go back to your profile and tap on your username, you will see the removed account is no longer included in the drop-down.
Repeat these steps for each account you’d like to delete.
Note: Removing your account from the app does not delete your account. If you want to delete your account (forever), follow the steps provided by Instagram.
Easily manage all your Instagram accounts in one place with Hootsuite. Save time by scheduling and publishing content, engaging with your audience, and analyzing your results—all from a single platform. Plus, Hootsuite gives you the ability to collaborate with team members, so you can get more done together.
Ready to give it a try? Try a free trial of Hootsuite Pro today!
Easily create, analyze, and schedule Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels with Hootsuite. Save time and get results.
Free 30-Day Trial
Instagram is still growing fast. These Instagram statistics prove just how valuable the network is to your business.
Everything you need to know about using Instagram for business — from setting up your account to creating a winning strategy.
Keep up with the latest Instagram updates, from new ad formats to Instagram Shop upgrades, and user-experience tweaks, and more.
Rather than directing customers to your website, Instagram Shopping allows them to select and purchase products easily from the app.
