How to Transfer Instagram Followers to Another Account

Thinking about moving your Instagram presence to a new handle? The first question that comes to mind is almost always: How can I transfer my followers over? While there's no single button to migrate your audience, you absolutely can move a large and engaged portion of your community to a new account. This guide breaks down the strategic, step-by-step process for successfully moving your followers, minimizing losses, and starting fresh with your best fans by your side.

The Hard Truth: Why You Can't "Transfer" Followers

Let's get the tough part out of the way first. Instagram does not have a feature that allows you to directly transfer followers from one account to another. From Instagram's perspective, a "follow" is an active choice a user makes to connect with a specific account. Allowing automatic transfers would undermine user consent and could be used for spammy or malicious purposes. Think about it: you wouldn't want to wake up one day and find you're suddenly following an account you never chose to.

This is also why you should be extremely wary of any third-party app or service that promises to move your followers for a fee. These are universally scams that violate Instagram's Terms of Service. Giving them your login information puts your account at high risk of being hacked, and using their services could result in a permanent ban. The only legitimate way to move your audience is to convince them to follow your new account willingly.

So, instead of thinking of it as a "transfer," reframe it as a "migration campaign." Your goal is to make the move so seamless and appealing that your followers are happy to join you on your new page.

The 5-Phase Plan for a Seamless Migration

A successful audience migration is a well-planned marketing campaign. It requires preparation, clear communication, and consistent execution over a few weeks. Rushing this process is the surest way to lose a significant chunk of your following. Here’s how to do it right.

Phase 1: Set Up Your New Account for Success

Before you even mention the move to your current audience, your new destination needs to be ready for visitors. Nobody wants to move into an empty house, and nobody wants to follow an empty Instagram account. Your new profile needs to show people why they should follow you all over again.

• Secure and Optimize Your New Profile: Your first step is to grab the perfect handle for your new brand. Once secured, write a clear and compelling bio that explains who you are, what people can expect from your content, and explicitly mentions that you're moving from your old handle (e.g., "The new home of @oldaccount!").
• Populate with High-Value Content: Do not launch an empty account. Before you announce anything, pre-load your new profile with 9 to 12 of your best existing posts. This immediately gives newcomers a feel for your content and a reason to hit "Follow." Your grid should look inviting and established from day one.
• Create a "We're Moving!" Graphics Kit: Design a few consistent, on-brand templates announcing the move. Create a main graphic for feed posts and versions formatted for Stories and Reels. Having these ready will make your campaign look professional and cohesive.

Phase 2: Announce the Move on Your Original Account

With your new account prepped and ready, it's time to start informing your current followers about the big change. The key here is to give them enough time and a compelling reason to make the move with you.

• Update Your Old Bio: The very first thing you should do is change the bio on your original account. Make it impossible to miss. A simple banner at the very top works best: "WE'RE MOVING! Follow us for all new content at @newaccount." Use emojis like arrows (➡️) or megaphones (📣) to draw attention to it.
• Make the Formal Announcement (and Pin It): Use your "We're Moving!" graphic to create a formal announcement post. In the caption, be transparent about why you're moving. Are you rebranding? Focusing on a new niche? Launching a new business? Tell your story. People connect with authenticity, and explaining the "why" gives them a reason to stay invested. Once you publish this post, pin it to the top of your profile so it's the first thing anyone sees.
• Start Using Link Stickers in Stories: Begin posting daily Stories on your old account, exclusively directing people to follow your new profile. Use Instagram's "Add Yours" or Link sticker feature to link directly to your new account, making it a one-tap process for your followers.

Phase 3: Launch the Full Migration Campaign

This is where you go all-in. For one to two weeks, the primary goal of your original account is to funnel everyone to the new one. This phase requires consistent, multi-format communication.

• Daily, Multi-Format Reminders: You can't just post about it once and hope everyone sees it. The algorithm won't show it to your whole audience. For 7 to 14 days, you need to talk about the move constantly.
• Go All-In on Stories: Your Stories are your most powerful tool. Use interactive stickers like polls ("Did you follow our new account yet? ✅"), quizzes, and question boxes ("Ask me anything about the rebrand!"). Run a countdown sticker to the day you'll officially stop posting on the old account to create a sense of urgency.
• Create a Farewell Reel: Make a short, engaging Reel that highlights some of your best moments on the old account and joyfully announces the "next chapter" on the new page. Set it to a trending sound to maximize its reach. Remember to add clear on-screen text with your new handle.
• Go Live for a Final Q&A: An Instagram Live session is a great way to connect with your most engaged followers personally. You can explain the move, answer their questions in real-time, and audibly remind them to follow @newaccount.
• Reach Out Personally: For your most dedicated followers - the ones who always like, comment, and reply to your Stories - consider sending a friendly, personalized DM. A short message like, "Hey [Name]! Just wanted to make sure you saw we're moving over to @newaccount. Would love to have you join us over there!" can make a world of difference. It shows you value their specific support.

Phase 4: Incentivize the Move and Wind Down

After your big campaign push, it's time to create a compelling reason for any stragglers to finally make the switch. You do this by making the new account the only place to get your latest, best content.

• Post Exclusive Content on the New Account: Start debuting all your fresh, exciting content exclusively on the new page. On the old page's Stories, tease that new content with a swipe-up link: "We just dropped a new post! See it on @newaccount now." This creates FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and rewards the people who have already moved.
• Stop Posting New Content on the Old Account: After your dedicated campaign week(s), officially announce you will no longer be posting anything new to the old feed. This is the final nudge people need. From this point on, the old account serves one purpose: to act as a permanent redirect sign.
• Solidify the Final Bio: Change the bio on the old account one last time to be a permanent, past-tense message. For example: "This account is no longer active. For all our new content, please follow us at @newaccount." You can even remove the old profile picture and replace it with your "We've Moved!" graphic.

Phase 5: Final Housekeeping and Looking Forward

Once the migration is complete, a few final tasks will help you fully transition and re-engage your community in their new home.

• Update Your Handle Everywhere Else: This is a crucial step that many people forget. Update your Instagram handle on your website, in your email signature, on your other social media profiles (like X, Facebook, and LinkedIn), and on any print marketing materials.
• Welcome Your New Community: On your new account, post a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the move with you. Acknowledge their effort and express your excitement for what's ahead. This simple act builds a ton of goodwill.
• Manage Your Expectations: Understand that you will not get 100% of your followers to move. That's just the reality of audience churn. A successful migration can range from 20% to 60%, depending on how engaged your audience was to begin with. Remember, the goal isn't just to move a number - it's to move the right people who are genuinely interested in your content.

Final Thoughts

While you can't click a button and transfer your followers, a carefully planned migration campaign can successfully move your core community to a new Instagram account. By setting up a new home, communicating clearly, and creating a compelling reason to follow, you can begin your next chapter with an eager and engaged audience ready for what's next.

Executing a careful migration means managing two content calendars at once and repeatedly posting reminders across Stories, Reels, and feed posts - which can get chaotic fast. We actually built Postbase to make complex social media campaigns feel simple. Using a visual content calendar, you can plan and view all the posts for both your old and new accounts in one place, ensuring your communication is consistent without drowning in spreadsheets. Managing this kind of project is a lot easier when all your scheduling, from reminder Stories to farewell Reels, is handled under one roof.