How to Post on Instagram Without Posting on Facebook

Want to post on Instagram without that content automatically showing up on your Facebook profile? You’re not alone, and thankfully, it’s a simple fix. This guide will walk you through exactly how to regain control of your content, either on a post-by-post basis or by permanently disconnecting the two accounts. We'll cover everything you need to know to manage your platforms independently.

Why You Should Want to Post to Instagram Separately

In the early days of social media, linking accounts felt like a genius time-saver. You create one post, and it goes everywhere. But as platforms have evolved, so have their audiences and best practices. That “post everywhere” strategy can actually hurt your engagement more than it helps.

Here are a few reasons why having a separate content strategy for Instagram and Facebook is a smart move for any brand or creator:

• Different Audiences, Different Vibes: Your friends and family on Facebook might not care about the same things as your highly-niched community on Instagram. Instagram thrives on aesthetics, behind-the-scenes Stories, and trending Reels. Facebook often favors community updates, event invitations, and longer-form text posts that spark conversation. Tailoring your message to each audience shows you understand them and respect their time.
• Optimal Content Formats Vary: The perfect Instagram Reel - quick cuts, trending audio, on-screen text - might feel a bit out of place on a Facebook Page that gets more mileage from a well-shot landscape video with a thoughtful caption. Similarly, a long, link-heavy post that works on Facebook can look cluttered and perform poorly on Instagram's visually-driven feed.
• Hashtags Work Differently: Instagram relies heavily on hashtags for discoverability. A post with 15-20 relevant hashtags can significantly boost its reach. On Facebook, however, using more than a couple of hashtags can look spammy and may even reduce your post’s visibility.

Posting the same content everywhere can dilute your brand's impact. By treating Instagram and Facebook as separate channels with unique strengths, you can create a far more effective and engaging social media presence.

Option 1: Temporarily Stop Sharing For a Single Post

Maybe you don’t want to completely sever the connection between your accounts. Perhaps you like the convenience of a shared login or cross-posting some content. The good news is that you can decide where to post on a case-by-case basis right from the Instagram app. This gives you maximum flexibility without having to change any deep settings.

How to Stop Sharing a Feed Post to Facebook:

This is the most common scenario. You’ve got a photo or carousel ready to go, but you only want it on Instagram.

1. Create your Instagram post as you normally would - select your photo or video, write your caption, and add your hashtags.
2. On the final screen before you hit "Share," scroll down to the section titled "Share to Facebook."
3. You’ll see a toggle switch next to your Facebook profile or page name. If it’s on (usually blue), simply tap it to turn it off (it will turn grey).
4. That’s it! Tap "Share" at the top of the screen. Your post will now go live only on Instagram.

Instagram will usually remember this choice for future feed posts, but it's always a good habit to double-check that toggle before publishing.

How to Stop Sharing an Instagram Story to Facebook:

Stories often feel more spontaneous and informal, making them perfect for Instagram’s in-the-moment culture. You might not want every casual poll or behind-the-scenes snap cluttering your Facebook Page.

1. Create your Instagram Story with any text, stickers, or music you want.
2. When you're ready to post, look at the bottom of the screen. You'll see an arrow button next to "Your Story." Tap it.
3. This will bring up the "Sharing options" menu. Next to "Your Facebook Story," you’ll see an option to share. Make sure this is not selected.
4. You may see a button that says "Share." Tap it, then on the next screen toggle sharing to Facebook off.
5. Hit "Share" to post it only to your Instagram Story.

Adjusting this setting will prevent that specific Story, and often future ones, from automatically being cross-posted.

How to Stop Sharing an Instagram Reel to Facebook:

Reels are a powerhouse for reach on Instagram, but their effectiveness can vary on Facebook, where the audience for vertical, short-form video may have different preferences. Plus, you might want to avoid oversaturating your Facebook audience if you post Reels frequently.

1. Record or upload your Reel and go through the editing process.
2. On the final screen where you write your caption and add a cover image, scroll down to the bottom.
3. You should see an option that says "Recommend on Facebook." Below it will be a toggle switch.
4. Tap the toggle to turn it off.
5. Now, tap "Share." Your Reel will be posted exclusively to Instagram.

This simple act of checking the toggle switch each time is the easiest way to manage your content without breaking the underlying connection between your accounts.

Option 2: Permanently Disconnect Your Instagram and Facebook Accounts

If you’ve decided you want total and permanent separation, or you’re annoyed by even the option of cross-posting, you can remove the link between your accounts entirely. The process is managed through Meta's Accounts Center, which is the central hub for all your connected Instagram, Facebook, and Meta accounts.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to doing it from your Instagram app:

Step-by-Step Guide to Unlinking Your Accounts:

1. Open your Instagram profile. Tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner.
2. Go to Settings. Tap the three horizontal lines (the "hamburger" menu) in the top-right corner, then select "Settings and privacy."
3. Navigate to Accounts Center. At the very top of the "Settings and privacy" menu, you will see a box labeled "Accounts Center." Tap anywhere in this box to open it.
4. Find your connected accounts. Inside Accounts Center, tap on the "Accounts" option under Account Settings. This will show you all the Facebook and Instagram profiles currently linked together.
5. Select the account to remove. Find the Facebook account you wish to disconnect from your Instagram. Tap the "Remove" button next to it.
6. Read the confirmation screen. A screen will pop up explaining what will happen when you remove the account. It will remind you that this will remove you from this Accounts Center and you’ll lose access to connected experiences like unified logins and cross-posting.
   
   Important: This will not delete your Facebook account, it only severs the connection to your Instagram.
7. Confirm the removal. Tap the "Remove account" button, and then confirm your choice one last time.

And that’s it! Your accounts are now separate. You'll no longer see the option to share Instagram posts to that Facebook profile, and your accounts will act as two completely independent entities.

What Do You Lose When You Disconnect the Accounts?

Unlinking your accounts provides autonomy, but you do give up some of Meta’s integrated features. It’s worth knowing what you’ll be 'losing' before you proceed:

• Shared Login Information: You won't be able to use your Facebook login to get into your Instagram account or vice-versa. You’ll need to remember separate passwords for each.
• Seamless Cross-Posting: All the "Share to Facebook" toggles will disappear. If you ever want to post something on both platforms, you’ll have to do it manually for each one.
• Unified Ad Management: For business accounts, running ads across both platforms from a single campaign in Ads Manager becomes more difficult.
• Centralized Profile Info: You won't be able to sync your name or profile picture across both platforms with a single edit.

For most creators and brands who want distinct platform strategies, these trade-offs are well worth the control they gain.

Final Thoughts

Taking control of your content is a simple process, whether you choose to disable cross-posting on a case-by-case basis or fully disconnect your Instagram and Facebook accounts through Meta’s Accounts Center. Both methods give you the freedom to tailor your content for each unique audience, leading to better engagement and a stronger brand identity.

At Postbase, we built our tool specifically to solve this problem of managing multiple, distinct social media strategies. Instead of fighting with native platform cross-posting or managing everything manually, our visual calendar allows you to plan and schedule unique content for each platform - _without_ forcing them to be linked. This way, you can perfect a Reel for Instagram, draft a thoughtful text post for LinkedIn, and schedule a video for Facebook, all from one clean dashboard, knowing your content will go exactly where you want it to, every time.