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.
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.
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.