How to Create a Second Instagram Account

Yes, you can have more than one Instagram account, and you don't need to log out to make one. In the app, go to your profile, tap your profile name at the top, then tap Add Instagram account and Create new account. One email address can be linked to up to five Instagram accounts, and you can stay logged in to up to ten accounts at once and switch between them.

Steps checked against Instagram Help Center in October 2026.

How to create a second Instagram account in the app

These steps are the same on Android and iPhone. Start while logged in to your current account.

1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
3. Tap your profile name at the top of the screen.
4. Tap Add Instagram account.
5. Tap Create new account.
6. Enter a name for your new profile, then tap Next.
7. Tap Continue, then tap Allow and continue to add the new profile to your Accounts Center. If you'd rather give the new account its own password and keep it out of Accounts Center, tap Create password instead, set a password and tap Next.
8. Add a phone number or email address, then tap Next.
9. Tap Complete sign-up.

The new account appears in your account list right away, and the app keeps both logged in.

Instagram is gradually moving people to Meta Accounts, so you may see "Meta Account settings" where these steps say Accounts Center.

Adding an account you already have

If the second account already exists, you add it instead of creating it:

1. Go to your profile and tap Menu in the top right.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Add account.
3. Tap Log in to existing account.
4. Enter that account's username and password and tap Log in.

Can you use the same email or phone number?

Email: yes, within a limit. Instagram's Help Center states that an email address can be associated with up to five Instagram accounts. If you already use one address for five accounts, use a different email for the next one.

Phone number: Instagram does not publish a clear rule for reusing one phone number across several accounts. If sign-up tells you the number is already in use, add an email address instead, or use a different number.

No separate login at all: when you create the new account from your existing one and choose Allow and continue, it is added to the same Accounts Center. Accounts in the same Accounts Center can log in to each other, so you don't have to remember a second password. You still add a phone number or email during sign-up.

Two practical points from Instagram's own guidance: use an email address that only you can access, since it is how you get back in if you forget your password; and use your own birthday when asked, even if the account is for a business or a pet.

How to create a second Instagram account on a computer

Instagram says you can create an account in the app or on Instagram.com. On a computer, the simplest route is:

1. Log out of your current account on instagram.com, or open a private browser window.
2. Go to instagram.com and choose the option to sign up.
3. Follow the on-screen steps: email or mobile number, confirmation code, password, birthday, name and username.

Once both accounts exist, you can add the second one to the web version so you don't have to log out each time:

1. In the bottom left of instagram.com, click More, then click Switch accounts.
2. Enter the username and password of the account you want to add.
3. Click Log in.

Instagram documents the one-tap Create new account flow for the app only, so on the web use the sign-up route above.

How to switch between Instagram accounts

In the app: go to your profile, tap your username at the top of the screen, then tap the account you want to use.

On a computer: click More in the bottom left, click Switch accounts, then click the account you want.

You can have up to ten accounts logged in at one time.

To take an account off your phone, go to your profile, tap Menu, scroll down to Log in and tap Log out for the account you're in. This only removes it from that device. It does not deactivate or delete the account.

Managing your accounts in Accounts Center

Accounts Center is where Meta connects your Instagram, Facebook and Meta accounts. To open it in the app, go to your profile, tap Menu in the top right, then tap Accounts Center. On a computer, click More in the bottom left, click Settings, then click Accounts Center on the left.

When accounts sit in the same Accounts Center, they can share connected experiences:

• logging in across accounts, so one login gets you into the others;
• syncing your name, profile picture, username or avatar;
• sharing posts, stories or reels across apps.

Instagram says that from early 2026, all accounts in the same Accounts Center can log in to each other by default. If you want an account to need its own login, move it out of your Accounts Center. If you previously used Instagram's older "single login" for several accounts, it still works, but you can't add new accounts to it.

For a brand account that a team will handle, think about this before you tap Allow and continue. Keeping it in your personal Accounts Center ties its login to yours. Choosing Create password keeps it separate.

Why brands and creators run two accounts

Most second accounts exist to keep one audience from being diluted by content meant for another: a personal profile next to a business page, a main brand next to a regional or product line, or a creator's main feed next to a behind-the-scenes account. It also gives you a clean read on how each audience responds, since likes and comments are not mixed together. If you compare the two accounts, measure them the same way. An Instagram engagement rate calculator gives you a like-for-like number for each profile before you decide where to put your effort.

FAQ

Can I create a second Instagram account with the same email?

Yes. Instagram states that one email address can be associated with up to five Instagram accounts. If you create the second account from inside your current one and add it to Accounts Center, you can also log in to it through your existing account.

Can I use the same phone number for two Instagram accounts?

Instagram does not publish a specific rule for phone numbers. If the app says the number is already used, sign up with an email address or another number instead.

How many Instagram accounts can I have?

You can be logged in to up to ten accounts at once and switch between them without logging out. Separately, one email address can be linked to up to five accounts.

How do I create a second Instagram account on my computer?

Go to instagram.com while logged out (or in a private window) and sign up with an email or mobile number. Then add both accounts on the web through More, then Switch accounts, so you can move between them.

Will my followers know I made a second account?

Not automatically. Each account is a separate profile with its own followers and posts. Instagram notes that people may see that an account was created recently, and if you sync your name or profile picture through Accounts Center, the accounts will look connected.