How to create a second Instagram account

Posted by

Lara Bakker

September 13, 2026

On September 13, 2026

You can create a second Instagram account directly in the Instagram app. You do not need to log out each time, as Instagram lets you add multiple accounts and quickly switch between profiles. This is useful if you want to keep your work and personal life separate, create an extra account for a hobby, or use Instagram more privately.

The most important thing to know before you begin is this: give your second account its own username, choose a secure password, and preferably use a separate email address or phone number. This makes it much easier to recover the account later if you are ever unable to log in.

How do you create a second Instagram account?
How do you switch between multiple Instagram accounts?
How can you use Instagram anonymously?
How do you delete a second Instagram account?

Why create a second Instagram account?

An extra Instagram account is particularly useful when you do not want everything mixed together. For each account, you can decide who you follow, what you post, which notifications you receive, and how recognisable you want to be.

Keep your work and personal life separate

Do you use Instagram for your business, online shop, freelance work, or personal brand? If so, a separate business account is often much easier to manage. Your business content stays separate from holiday photos, family pictures, and personal stories.

A business or professional account can also be useful because you may gain access to extra features, such as insights, contact buttons, and advertising options. This helps you see which posts perform well and present your profile more clearly to customers or followers.

Create a smaller private account

Some people have a public account but also want a smaller private account for friends and family. This can feel more comfortable if you only want to share personal photos with a limited group.

A private account is also useful if you want a calmer feed. You can follow only people you genuinely know there, while your main account remains more open to acquaintances, customers, or a larger audience.

Use Instagram anonymously or be less recognisable

Do you want to browse Instagram without showing your real name, profile picture, or main account? You can create a second account with less recognisable details. Just remember that anonymous does not mean invisible. If you view a story, like something, or leave a comment, the other person can often still see your account name.

If you want to make your account harder to connect to you, also pay attention to Instagram suggestions. Accounts can sometimes become recognisable through contacts, mutual followers, and profile activity. You can learn more in our guide to turning off suggestions for you on Instagram.

Start a themed account

Many people create a second account for a specific topic. This could be photography, fitness, travel, recipes, memes, fan content, quotes, or pets. This often works better than putting everything on one profile because followers immediately know what to expect.

Photography account: only your best photos and edits.
Hobby account: for example, sport, gaming, books, or plants.
Fan page: content about an artist, team, series, or community.
Inspiration account: quotes, mood boards, lifestyle ideas, or tips.

How do you create a second Instagram account?

You can create a second Instagram account through the app on iPhone and Android. The exact button names may sometimes differ slightly because Instagram updates the app regularly, but the steps are generally very similar.

Step by step in the Instagram app

Open the Instagram app on your mobile.
Tap your profile picture at the bottom right to open your profile.
Tap your username at the top, or open the menu using the three lines at the top right.
Select Add account.
Select Create new account if you want to make a completely new profile.
Choose a username for your second account.
Create a strong password.
Add an email address or phone number if Instagram requests one.
Follow the steps on the screen to confirm your account.

Is your second account ready? You can immediately add a profile picture, bio, and possibly a link. If you want to keep the account private, it is best to set this up straight away before following people or posting content.

Add an existing account to your Instagram app

Do you already have a second account that is not yet in your app? You do not need to create a new profile. Add the existing account instead:

Open Instagram and go to your profile.
Tap your username at the top of your profile.
Tap Add account.
Select Log into existing account.
Log in using the username, email address or phone number, and password for that account.

Instagram also provides an official help page about adding and switching accounts. You can access it through Instagram help for multiple accounts.

Do you need to use a new email address?

Generally, each Instagram account needs its own email address or phone number. If Instagram says an email address is already in use, use another email address or a different phone number.

These are the safest options:

A separate email address: useful for work, a brand, or an important second account.
A second phone number: may be useful if you would rather not create an extra email address.
An email alias: some email providers let you use an alias, for example with a plus sign in Gmail. This does not work in the same way everywhere, so check whether Instagram accepts it.

Temporary email addresses may seem convenient, but they are not a sensible choice for accounts you want to keep. If you forget your password later or Instagram asks for confirmation, you may no longer be able to access that temporary address. For an account you invest time in, a permanent email address is much safer.

What should you enter for your name, username, and bio?

Your name and username determine how easily people can recognise you. For a private account, you can use your real name, but for a more anonymous account, it is better to choose something general. For a business account, recognition is important.

Type of second account	Useful choice	What to consider
Business account	Brand name, company name, or clear niche	Make it immediately clear what you offer or share.
Private account	Your name or nickname	Set the account to private if you do not want everyone to be able to view it.
More anonymous account	General username without your real name	Do not use a recognisable photo, bio, or linked contacts if you want to be less recognisable.
Themed account	Name that matches the topic	Keep your content clearly focused on one theme.

How do you switch between multiple Instagram accounts?

After adding multiple accounts in the Instagram app, you can switch quickly without logging out. This makes it easy to use your private account and business account side by side, for example.

How to switch accounts

Open Instagram.
Go to your profile by tapping your profile picture at the bottom right.
Tap your username at the top.
Select the account you want to use.

You will immediately become active on that account. Always quickly check which account is open before posting a story, liking a post, or leaving a comment. This is one of the most common mistakes when using multiple accounts.

How many Instagram accounts can you manage at the same time?

Instagram lets you add multiple accounts to the same app. A limit of five accounts is often mentioned. If you manage more accounts, you may need to log out of one account, use a second device, or work through a browser.

For regular use, five accounts is generally more than enough. This could include one private account, one business account, one themed account, and possibly a test account.

Do you receive notifications from all accounts?

You can receive notifications from the accounts you have added. These may include likes, comments, follow requests, direct messages, and notifications from Instagram itself. This can be useful, but it can also become overwhelming quickly.

If you want fewer interruptions, adjust the notifications for each account:

Go to the account whose notifications you want to adjust.
Open your profile.
Tap the menu with the three lines.
Go to Settings and privacy.
Select Notifications.
Turn off anything you do not need.

For a more anonymous or less important account, for example, you could leave direct message notifications on while turning off likes and suggestions.

Avoid posting from the wrong account

This happens more often than you might expect. You think you are using your private account but accidentally post something on your business profile. Or you reply from an anonymous account when you intended to use your main account.

A few simple habits can help considerably:

Always check your profile picture at the bottom right before posting.
Use clearly different profile pictures for each account.
Give accounts recognisable names, even if those names are only intended for you.
Turn off notifications for less important accounts so you are less likely to switch in a hurry.
Always check the account before tapping share on stories.

How can you use Instagram anonymously?

You can use Instagram in a less recognisable way, but not everything is anonymous. For example, Instagram does not show who views your profile, but story viewers are visible. It is therefore important to know which actions leave traces.

Can someone see that you viewed their profile?

No, Instagram does not send a notification when you view someone’s profile. Under normal circumstances, someone cannot see that you visited their profile.

They may notice if you interact. This could include a like, comment, follow request, or message. Even if you tap something accidentally, a notification may briefly appear.

Can someone see that you viewed their story?

Yes. If you view an Instagram story while logged in, your account appears in that story’s viewer list. This also applies if you do not follow the person, provided you can view the story.

If you do not want your main account to appear among story viewers, a second account is the simplest option. Use an account that is not directly recognisable, and make sure you do not use a recognisable name, photo, or bio.

Many tricks are shared online, such as using aeroplane mode or external websites. Be careful with these. Such tricks do not always work, can change, and external tools may be unsafe for your account or privacy. Never log in with your Instagram details on an unknown website.

Can you scroll through someone’s posts anonymously?

Yes, you can scroll through public posts without the owner seeing that you viewed them. Instagram does not display a list of profile visitors or post viewers for regular feed posts.

However, these actions are not anonymous:

Liking a post.
Leaving a comment.
Following someone.
Sending a direct message.
Viewing a story.

Saving a post is different. The owner generally cannot see which person saved the post. With professional accounts, general insights may sometimes be visible, such as how often a post was saved, but not the names of the people who saved it.

What happens if you accidentally like a post?

If you accidentally like a post and remove the like immediately, the other person may still have received a notification. Sometimes that notification disappears quickly, but you cannot depend on this.

The safest approach is straightforward: scroll carefully, avoid double tapping photos, and use a second account if you do not want your main account to become visible. A sudden like is particularly noticeable on older posts.

How do you make your second account less recognisable?

If you use a second account for greater privacy, consider more than just your username. Instagram can show people suggestions based on details such as contacts, mutual followers, and account activity. Exactly how Instagram determines suggestions changes regularly. You can also find a general explanation of how Instagram ranks content and suggestions in Hootsuite’s guide to the Instagram algorithm.

If you want to be less recognisable, these choices can help:

Do not use your real name in your username or profile name.
Do not use a recognisable profile picture.
Do not include personal information in your bio.
Preferably, do not connect your contacts if you do not want people you know to find you.
Do not immediately follow all your friends and family, as this makes the account more recognisable.
Check your privacy settings before becoming active.

You are never completely invisible on Instagram. Use the account respectfully and be considerate of others. A second account is useful for privacy and organisation, not for bothering people or avoiding rules.

Using a second account for growth or a brand

If your second account is intended for a business, creator profile, or themed page, begin with a clear foundation. Use a recognisable profile picture, a short bio, and a few strong posts before actively following people or promoting the account.

An empty profile can feel less trustworthy. First publish a few posts or reels that show what your account is about. These might include a short introduction, examples of your work, frequently asked questions, customer photos if you have permission to use them, or clear tips related to your topic.

If you want to give your Instagram profile extra support, you can view the Instagram services on SocialKings. For a new or business account, some users choose to buy Instagram followers to give their profile more presence, or buy Instagram likes when they want to add more social proof to existing posts. Always use this as support alongside good content, not as a substitute for it.

Can you tell if someone has multiple Instagram accounts?

Instagram does not clearly indicate whether someone has multiple accounts. You may sometimes have suspicions, but you generally cannot know for certain unless the person tells you.

There are several signs that people sometimes notice:

Similar usernames: for example, the same name with an additional word or number.
The same profile picture or style: some people use recognisable images or the same bio.
Overlapping followers: a second account often follows the same friends or contacts.
Suggestions for you: Instagram may suggest accounts that could belong to the same person or social circle.
Frequent interaction between two accounts: for example, the same likes or comments appearing repeatedly.

Even so, this remains guesswork. Instagram does not provide a public overview of every account someone manages. Respect the person’s privacy and avoid drawing conclusions too quickly.

Can I create a second Instagram account without a new email address?

Instagram may sometimes ask for another email address or phone number, particularly if your current email address is already linked to an account. The safest solution is to use a separate email address for each account.

If you would rather not create a new email address, you can try these options:

Use a phone number: if Instagram accepts it for your new account.
Use an email alias: some email providers support aliases, but they do not always work in the same way.
Create a new free email address: this is often the most reliable choice for recovering the account later.

It is best not to use a temporary email address for an account you want to continue using. If you later need to confirm that the account belongs to you, this can cause problems.

How do you delete a second Instagram account?

Do you want to remove your second account? You have two choices: temporarily deactivate it or permanently delete it. Temporary deactivation is useful if you want to take a break. Permanent deletion is final.

Remove a second account from your app without deleting it

Do you only want to stop being logged in to that account while keeping the account itself? If so, log out of that account.

Go to the account you want to remove from the app.
Open your profile.
Tap the menu with the three lines.
Go to Settings and privacy.
Scroll to the option for logging out.
Choose whether you want to log out of only this account.

The account will continue to exist. You can log in again later using your username and password.

Temporarily deactivate an Instagram account

When you temporarily deactivate an account, your profile remains hidden until you log in again. Your photos, comments, and likes are not visible while the account is deactivated.

The exact path can vary by device, but you will generally do this through Instagram in a browser or through Accounts Centre in the settings. Look for options relating to personal details, account ownership, and control.

Choose temporary deactivation if you are unsure. You can return later without losing your entire profile.

Permanently delete an Instagram account

Permanent deletion means your account, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will eventually disappear. This is not intended as a quick way to tidy things up, but as a final decision.

Check that you are logged in to the correct account.
Go to Instagram settings or Accounts Centre.
Look for account ownership and control.
Select the option to delete your account.
Follow Instagram’s confirmation steps.

You can also use Instagram’s account deletion request page if it is available for your account. Always check the official explanation from Instagram to make sure you are following the correct steps. You can find it through the Instagram Help Centre.

Common mistakes with a second Instagram account

Creating a second account is easy, but there are a few mistakes you should avoid. They often cause problems with privacy, logging in, or accidentally posting from the wrong account.

Using a temporary email address: convenient for one minute, but frustrating when you need to recover your account later.
Using the same password: if one account becomes compromised, your other accounts are also at greater risk.
Forgetting which account is active: always check your profile picture before posting, liking, or commenting.
Adding too many recognisable details to an anonymous account: your bio, followers, and profile picture can still reveal who you are.
Promoting an empty business account: first make sure your profile appears trustworthy.
Not setting recovery details: add a reliable email address or phone number so you can log in again if something goes wrong.

Frequently asked questions about a second Instagram account

Can I use two Instagram accounts on one mobile?

Yes, you can use multiple Instagram accounts on one mobile. Add them in the app, then switch accounts through your username at the top of your profile.

Can my followers see that I have a second account?

Not automatically. Instagram does not publicly show which other accounts you have. However, your second account may become recognisable through your name, profile picture, contacts, followers, or behaviour.

Can I make my second account private?

Yes. Go to your privacy settings and set your account to private. New followers will then need your approval first. Keep in mind that some privacy options may work differently with a professional account. If privacy matters more than business features, a private personal account is generally the better choice.

Can I follow the same people with my second account?

Yes, you can. Just remember that this may make your account more recognisable, particularly if you follow many of the same friends, family members, or colleagues.

Can I change the name of my second Instagram account later?

Yes, you can change your username and profile name later through edit profile. For a business or themed account, choose a name you will not need to change too often so people continue to recognise you.

Which is better: a second account or changing my current account?

If you have a completely different goal, a second account is generally better. This could include keeping private and business content separate, using a more anonymous account, or starting a themed page. If you only want to make your current profile look tidier, changing your existing account is often sufficient.

Quick recap

Creating a second Instagram account is useful if you want better organisation, privacy, or focus. You can create the account through the Instagram app, add it to your existing app, and then quickly switch between your profiles.

Preferably, use a separate email address, set your privacy correctly straight away, and always check which account is active before posting anything. For anonymous use, a second account is useful, but not everything on Instagram is invisible. Stories, likes, comments, and messages may still be visible to others.

Do you want to use your second account for a brand, creator profile, or themed page? Begin with a clear bio, recognisable appearance, and strong content. You can then continue building your visibility at a steady pace.