Instagram personal account limitations
A personal account and a professional account differ mainly in which tools and dashboards are unlocked.
Is this your situation?
You are looking at your personal Instagram account and wondering what it cannot do compared to a business or creator account. You want to know whether switching account type changes anything about who controls the account.
What it is
To set up a professional account, a user needs to create an Instagram account or use an existing Instagram account. A personal account can be changed to a business or creator account. Switching to a professional account unlocks features to grow the account, monetize, create ads, understand growth, and manage messages. A professional account can be switched back to a personal account at any time. Switching back to personal results in losing access to ads and possibly to other tools.
How Instagram handles this
- A personal account can be changed to a business or creator account.
- Account type can be switched between at any time.
- Switching back to personal results in loss of access to ads and possibly other tools.
- Any Facebook Page connected to a professional account is disconnected if switched to personal.
- If a personal account is private, switching to professional makes it public.
Side by side
| Situation | Personal account | Professional account |
|---|---|---|
| Growth and ad tools | You have not set up a professional account. | Gives access to features to grow, monetize, create ads, and manage messages. |
| Switching type | Can be changed to business or creator. | Can be switched back to personal at any time. |
| Privacy after switch | Can be private before switching. | Account becomes public once switched from a private personal account. |
| Connected Facebook Page | No connected Page remains once switched to personal. | A Facebook Page can be connected to a professional account. |
| Accounts logged in at once | Up to 10 accounts can be logged in at once. | Up to 10 accounts can be logged in at once. |
Common mistakes
- Expecting a private account to stay private after switching. Switching to a professional account makes it public.Why it happens: All pending follow requests are automatically accepted after switching to a professional account.
- Expecting the connected Page to stay linked after switching back. Any connected Facebook Page is disconnected when switching to personal.Why it happens: You switch back to a personal account without checking what stays connected.Already happened: If the Page is disconnected, review who has access for teams.
- Assuming professional tools remain after switching back. Switching back loses access to ads and possibly other tools.Why it happens: You switch back expecting your tools to carry over.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can a personal account switch to professional? | Yes, at any time. |
| Can a professional account switch back? | Yes, at any time. |
| What is gained on switching to professional? | Features to grow, monetize, create ads, and manage messages. |
| What is lost on switching to personal? | Access to ads and possibly other tools. |
| What happens to a connected Facebook Page? | It is disconnected when switching to personal. |
| What happens to a private account on switching? | It becomes public. |
| What happens to pending follow requests? | They are automatically accepted. |
| How many accounts can be logged in at once? | Up to 10 accounts. |
Frequently asked questions
Does a personal account have fewer tools than a professional account?
A professional account gives access to features to grow, monetize, create ads, and manage messages that a personal account setup does not describe.
Will switching to professional make a private account public?
Yes, a private personal account becomes public when switched to professional.
What happens to a connected Page if I switch back to personal?
Any Facebook Page connected to the professional account is disconnected.
Can I switch back and forth between account types?
Account type can be switched between at any time.
Keeping track of who has access
Confusion about what a personal account can and cannot do builds as switching happens more than once. Delvia keeps a record of account type changes and what they affect, so the picture stays clear.
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