How to Change Account Type on Instagram

Switching your Instagram account type is one of the quickest ways to unlock powerful features for growing your brand or audience. Whether you're moving from a personal profile to a professional one or choosing between a Creator and Business account, the process is straightforward. This guide will walk you through exactly how to change your account type, explain the key differences between them, and help you decide which one is the right fit for your goals.

Why Change Your Instagram Account Type? Understanding Your Options

Before you make the switch, it’s helpful to understand what each account type offers. Instagram gives you three choices: Personal, Creator, and Business. While a Personal account is great for connecting with friends and family, the professional accounts (Creator and Business) are designed for growth and provide access to tools that aren't available otherwise.

Personal Account

This is the default account type for every new Instagram user. It’s perfect for casual use, connecting with people you know, and sharing life updates without any pressure to perform.

• Best for: Individuals who use Instagram for personal connections, not for marketing, brand building, or monetizing content.
• Key Features: You can set your account to private, and that's about it. You get no analytics, no contact buttons, and no promotion capabilities.

Creator Account

Launched in 2019, the Creator account is tailored for public figures, content producers, artists, and influencers. It provides more flexibility in how you present yourself and gives you access to powerful growth tools without some of the more corporate features of a Business account.

• Best for: Influencers, bloggers, personal brands, artists, YouTubers, and anyone who creates content as their main focus.
• Key Features:
  • Advanced Analytics: Get detailed insights into your audience demographics, post performance, and follower growth, including daily follow/unfollow data.
  • Flexible Profile Controls: You can choose to show or hide your category label (e.g., "Artist," "Blogger") and contact information on your profile.
  • Filtered Inbox: Your DMs are split into "Primary" and "General" tabs, making it easier to manage messages from brands, collaborators, and fans separately.
  • Branded Content Tools: Easily tag business partners in sponsored posts for transparency.

Business Account

The Business account is designed for companies, from small local shops to large corporations, that use Instagram to market their products or services. It’s slightly more rigid than a Creator account but offers robust tools geared towards commerce and lead generation.

• Best for: Brands, retail stores, local businesses, agencies, and service providers.
• Key Features:
  • In-depth Analytics: Same powerful insights as the Creator account, helping you understand your audience and what content resonates.
  • Contact Information: You can add a business address, phone number, and email address directly to your profile, creating interactive contact buttons.
  • Action Buttons: Add buttons like "Order Food," "Book Now," or "Reserve," allowing customers to take action directly from your profile.
  • API Access for Third-Party Tools: This is a big one. Business accounts allow for integrations with third-party social media management platforms for scheduling posts (including auto-publishing), managing comments, and more.
  • Promotions/Ads: Easily create and run ads to promote your posts and reach a wider audience.

How to Switch to a Professional Instagram Account (Creator or Business)

If you're ready to move from a Personal account to unlock analytics and other growth tools, the process takes less than a minute. Here’s how to do it.

1. Go to Your Profile: Open the Instagram app and navigate to your profile page by tapping your profile picture in the bottom-right corner.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
3. Navigate to Settings: Tap on Settings and privacy from the menu.
4. Find Account Tools: Scroll down to the “For professionals” section and tap on Account type and tools.
5. Initiate the Switch: Tap Switch to professional account. Instagram will show you a few screens highlighting the benefits. Tap Continue through these prompts.
6. Choose a Category: Select a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Blogger, Digital Creator, Restaurant, etc.). This label can be displayed on your profile if you wish. After selecting, tap Done.
7. Select Creator or Business: This is the final step. Instagram will now ask you: "Are you a creator?" You’ll be presented with the two professional account options. Choose Creator or Business based on which one aligns better with your goals. Tap Next.

That's it! Your account is now a professional one. Instagram may then prompt you to complete a few more steps, like connecting a Facebook Page or reviewing your contact info, to get the most out of your new account type.

How to Switch Between Creator and Business Accounts

Maybe you started as a Creator but now have a product to sell, or you chose a Business account but feel a Creator profile better fits your personal brand. Switching between the two professional types is just as easy.

1. Follow steps 1-4 from the guide above to get to the Account type and tools menu.
2. Instead of "Switch to professional account," you will now see an option that says Switch account type.
3. Tap it, and you’ll be given the option to switch to the other professional account type (e.g., from Creator to Business) or switch back to a Personal account.
4. Select your desired account type and confirm your choice.

How to Switch Back to a Personal Account

If you decide that managing a professional account isn’t for you, returning to a Personal account is simple. However, there's a significant consequence to be aware of.

Follow the same steps above to navigate to Settings and privacy -> Account type and tools -> Switch account type. From there, select Switch to personal account and confirm.

Important Warning: When you switch back to a Personal account, all Instagram Insights data from your posts and profile will be permanently deleted. If you ever switch back to a professional account in the future, your past analytics will not be restored. You will be starting from scratch.

Creator vs. Business: Which Account Is Right for You?

Still on the fence about whether to choose a Creator or Business account? Let’s break down the best use cases for each to make the decision clearer.

Go with a Creator Account if:

• You are a personal brand. Your content is about you - your expertise, your art, your perspective. The "Creator" label aligns better with individual personalities.
• You want cleaner DMs. The Primary/General inbox system is extremely helpful for filtering out noise and making sure you see important collaboration requests.
• You don't need a physical address on your profile. Creator accounts allow for more subtle contact options, which is ideal if you don’t operate from a brick-and-mortar location.
• Your focus is on content and audience growth. Creator tools are designed to give you insight into your audience engagement and follower trends, which is perfect for building a community.

Go with a Business Account if:

• You sell products or services. The ability to add "Shop," "Order Food," or "Book Now" buttons provides a direct sales channel from your profile.
• You have a physical location. Adding a clickable address to your bio helps local customers find you easily.
• You rely on third-party scheduling tools. While some third-party tools work with Creator accounts, API access is most consistently reliable and feature-rich for Business accounts. This is essential for auto-posting content like Reels and Carousels.
• You represent a more traditional brand. If your Instagram is the public face of your company, a Business profile feels official and offers customers clear ways to get in touch.

Common Questions Answered

Will changing my account type affect my reach or engagement?

Officially, no. Instagram says that the algorithm does not favor one account type over another. However, anecdotally, some users have reported temporary fluctuations after switching. The more important factors for your reach continue to be the quality of your content and your engagement with your audience.

Will I lose my followers if I switch accounts?

No, you will not lose any of your existing followers or content. All your posts, followers, and who you follow will remain exactly the same.

Do I have to connect a Facebook Page?

For a Business account, connecting to a Facebook Business Page is highly recommended to unlock the full suite of features, including advanced advertising and third-party tool integrations. For a Creator account, it's not strictly required but is still a good idea if you plan to run promotions or use Creator Studio.

Final Thoughts

Changing your Instagram account type is a reversible but powerful move that gives you access to the tools needed for real growth. By choosing between a Creator or Business profile based on your goals, you can leverage analytics, promotions, and advanced profile features to build your brand more effectively.

Once you’ve made the switch to a Business or Creator account and start diving into your analytics, managing your content calendar becomes the next big step. We built Postbase to streamline this exact workflow, giving you a simple, visual planner to schedule your Reels, Stories, and posts across all your platforms. It’s designed so you can spend less time juggling apps and more time turning the insights from your new professional account into great content.