How to Change Admin on Instagram

Giving someone admin access to your Instagram account isn't quite as simple as clicking a button, mostly because Instagram doesn't have a single admin role like a Facebook Page does. Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish - whether it’s bringing on a marketing manager or completely handing over the account - the steps you need to take will be different. This guide will walk you through exactly how to assign management permissions the professional way and how to securely transfer ownership if that's your goal.

First, What Does "Admin" Really Mean on Instagram?

Unlike Facebook Pages where you can assign specific roles like "Admin," "Editor," or "Moderator," an Instagram profile operates a bit differently. Traditionally, anyone who has the username and password for an Instagram account is considered an "admin" because they have complete control. They can post content, change the bio, respond to DMs, delete comments, and even change the password itself to lock others out.

While sharing your login credentials might seem like the easiest way to give someone access, it's incredibly risky for businesses, brands, and creators. It creates major security concerns, gives team members access to personal DMs, and makes it difficult to revoke access when an employee or contractor leaves.

Fortunately, there’s a much safer and more professional method available for business and creator accounts: using Meta Business Suite. This is the official way to grant administrative and management permissions without ever sharing your password.

Let's break down the two main scenarios you might be facing:

• Scenario 1: Granting Management Permissions to a Team Member or Agency. This is the most common situation. You want someone else to create content, manage comments, or run ads for you without giving them the keys to the entire kingdom.
• Scenario 2: Completely Transferring Ownership of an Account. This is different. You're selling the account or permanently handing it off to someone else. This involves a full change of the account's core credentials.

Scenario 1: Granting Management Permissions (The Professional Method)

For any business or creator working with a team, freelancer, or marketing agency, using Meta Business Suite is the only way to go. It allows you to assign specific permissions to different people, giving you granular control over who can do what on your Instagram account. Best of all, it centralizes control and makes revoking access instant and clean.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Instagram Account is Connected to a Facebook Page

Before you can use Meta’s professional tools, your Instagram account needs to be set up as a "Professional Account" (either Business or Creator) and linked to a Facebook Page you manage. If you haven't done this yet, it's a quick process.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner and select Settings and Privacy.
3. Scroll down to Account type and tools. If you have a Personal Account, tap Switch to professional account and follow the prompts.
4. Once you have a professional account, go back to your main profile page and tap on Edit Profile.
5. Under "Public business information," you should see an option for Page. Tap it and select the Facebook Page you want to connect, or create a new one.

Once your Instagram account is successfully linked to your Facebook Page, you can manage permissions from your computer.

Step 2: Add a New Admin in Meta Business Suite

Now you're ready to add your new team member and assign them the roles they need. This part is done through a web browser, not the Instagram app.

1. Go to Meta Business Suite: Open your web browser and navigate to business.facebook.com. Log in with the Facebook profile that manages your Business Page.
2. Navigate to Settings: Look for the gear icon labeled Settings in the bottom-left menu of the Business Suite dashboard. Click on it.
3. Add People: In the Settings menu, find the People section under 'Users'. Click on it, then click the blue Add people button in the top right.
4. Enter Their Email Address: A window will pop up asking for the email address of the person you want to invite. Important: Use the email address they use to log into their personal Facebook account. Meta uses this to identify them and grant them access to your business assets.
5. Assign Business Account Access: This is a big step. You have two primary choices:
   • Partial Access (Recommended for most team members): This allows you to give someone specific permissions. For example, you can let them create posts and reply to comments but not run ads or see financial information.
   • Full Control (Admin Access): This gives the person full administrative rights over the entire Business Account. They can add or remove other people (including you!), change business settings, and manage all connected assets. Only give this to fully trusted partners or business owners.
   If you aren't sure, start with Partial Access. You can always grant more permissions later. Toggle the 'Full control' option if you want to make them a full admin.
6. Assign Asset Permissions: After setting their high-level role, click 'Next'. Now you'll choose which assets (Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts, etc.) they can manage.
   • Select your Facebook Page and your connected Instagram Account from the list.
   • On the right side, you'll see a series of toggles to assign specific tasks. If you want to give them full "admin" rights just for Instagram, toggle on Full Control under the Instagram account section. This lets them do everything: publish content, manage messages and comments, view insights, run ads, and oversee community activity.
7. Send the Invitation: Review your choices, then click Send invitation. The person will receive an email prompting them to accept their role. Once they accept, they’ll be able to manage your Instagram profile through Meta Business Suite and other connected tools.

Using this method means your password remains private, access can be revoked in seconds, and you maintain ultimate ownership of your digital assets.

Scenario 2: Completely Transferring Ownership of an Instagram Account

If you've sold your account or are handing off a project to someone else permanently, you'll need to transfer a few core pieces of information. The goal is to remove all your personal details from the account and replace them with the new owner's information so they have full, independent control.

Security Checklist Before You Hand Over the Keys

Treat this process with care, especially if money is changing hands. A smooth transition protects both the buyer and the seller.

• Have a Clear Agreement: If services or payment are involved, a simple written agreement outlining the terms of the transfer is always a good idea.
• Coordinate the Handoff: Plan a specific time for the transfer. You will need to coordinate with the new owner to confirm they've received access codes to their email or phone.
• Prepare the New Owner: Tell them they will need to immediately change the password and set up two-factor authentication (2FA) as soon as they get inside the account.
• Clean Your Data: Remove your account from any social media scheduling tools, password managers, or autofill settings on your browser and devices.

Step-by-Step Guide to Transferring Your Account

The "transfer" happens inside Instagram's Accounts Center, which controls the personal details linked to your account.

1. Log in to Instagram: Go into the account you want to transfer.
2. Access Accounts Center: Go to your profile > tap the menu icon > Settings and Privacy > Accounts Center.
3. Update Personal Details: In the Accounts Center, find and tap on Personal details. This is where the magic happens.
4. Change Contact Info:
   • Tap on Contact info. You will likely see your email address and phone number.
   • First, add the new owner’s email address. Instagram will send a confirmation code to that new email, so you'll need the new owner to send you that code to complete verification.
   • Once the new email is added and verified, you can delete your old email address.
   • Next, do the same for the phone number. Add the new owner’s phone number, coordinate with them to get the verification code, and then remove your phone number.
5. Securely Give the Password: Now that the recovery email and phone are changed, you can give the new owner the current password. Once they log in using their email and your old password, they officially have control.
6. Immediate Lock-Down (New Owner's Job): As soon as the new owner is logged in, their very first actions should be:
   • To go to Accounts Center > Password and security > Change password. They'll set a new, secure password that only they know.
   • To set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This adds a critical layer of security and ties the account to their device.
   • To review 'Where you're logged in' and log out any and all other devices and sessions to ensure you no longer have access.

What About Removing an Admin?

Removing someone's access is just as important as granting it. How you do it depends on which method you used to add them.

Revoking Access via Meta Business Suite

If you followed the professional method, this is painless.

1. Go back to Meta Business Suite > Settings > People.
2. Find the person in the list.
3. Click the three-dot icon next to their name and select Remove.

Their access is immediately revoked. That's it. It's clean, simple, and the reason this method is so superior for managing teams.

Revoking Access if You Shared Your Password (The Messy Way)

This is where password sharing becomes a security nightmare. Since they have the keys, you have to change the locks.

1. Immediately change your password. Go to Accounts Center > Password and security > Change password.
2. Force log-out all devices. In the 'Password and security' menu, check Where you're logged in. Review the list and select any devices you don’t recognize to log them out. It’s often best to just ‘Log out of all sessions.’
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) if you haven't already. This will prevent them from trying to log back in, even if they somehow guess your new password.

Final Thoughts

Giving someone admin-level control of your Instagram account comes down to one of two paths. For secure, ongoing collaboration with team members or agencies, the only way forward is using Meta Business Suite to assign specific roles without sharing login details. For a complete and permanent transfer of ownership, the process involves carefully updating the core contact information and handing over the keys to a new owner.

As you grow a team or start managing multiple accounts, keeping track of who has access to which platform can quickly become a full-time job. We ran into this challenge ourselves when managing brand accounts, which is a big reason why we built Postbase. Our goal was to simplify a team's entire social media workflow - from assigning conversations in a unified inbox so the right person responds, to planning campaigns on a shared visual calendar so everyone knows what's going live. It helps make team collaboration feel streamlined instead of chaotic.