Are you tired of switching from one Instagram profile to another when posting new content or replying to comments? It’s tedious, yeah?
So, you’re wondering if you can merge Instagram accounts. You’re not alone.
Many Instagram users have multiple Instagram accounts and are wondering the same.
Many have a personal account and perhaps one for business or other purposes.
In this article, I explore the possibilities of merging Instagram accounts and provide step-by-step details on easier ways to manage multiple IG accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have some questions about merging Instagram accounts? We’ve answered some below.
Is it Possible to Merge Two Instagram Accounts?
Sadly, merging two Instagram accounts is currently not something you can do on the social media platform.
This reality is surprising, considering you can merge accounts on Facebook.
One of the reasons Instagram doesn’t do this is to prevent a black market for IG accounts.
Can I Have Two Instagram Accounts With the Same Email?
You can create multiple Instagram accounts with the same email.
IG says you can attach up to five Instagram accounts with one email.
The only caveat is that you must create a different password for each account.
What Happens to Your Followers When You Change Your Instagram Name?
Nothing happens to your followers when you change your Instagram username.
That said, it is best practice to inform your followers of the change and why (brand update or merger) many weeks before altering your username.
So they’re not confused and end up unfollowing your account.
What You’ll Need to Merge Instagram Accounts
These are the tools you may need to merge Instagram accounts, including:
- Post scheduler: You need a tool like Buffer or Sprout Social to schedule posts that’ll serve as reminders to your old account audience that you’ve moved.
- Post downloader: You may use an Instagram content downloader if you want more control, but we do not recommend it. We recommend using Instagram’s download data feature.
How To Merge Instagram Accounts: Step-By-Step Instructions
There’s no official way to merge Instagram accounts.
You have to be creative.
There are many approaches you can employ depending on your unique
Before diving into the different methods, these best practices will help make the merger seamless.
Before Merging Instagram Accounts
If it isn’t obvious, ensure the accounts you are merging provide the same content.
For example, the transition can confuse your followers if one account provides sports content and the other provides fashion content.
Also, keep personal accounts from business ones.
I’ll advise that you still keep your business and personal accounts separate.
There are always exceptions to rules.
You could have created an account for your pet and an account for a pet business.
It may make sense to want to merge those two accounts.
If you’ve decided to merge or move your followers to a new username, then ensure you follow these five tips to make the transition easier for your audience.
Best Practices for Merging Instagram Accounts
Follow these best practices to ensure you do not lose followers during the merger or account transfer.
- Announce the merger or transfer way before the change happens. I think three months is adequate notice. The goal is to tell your followers that the XYZ account will become your primary account. You must post this announcement or reminder regularly in your stories, regular posts, and as reels.
- Keep one of the posts about the merger as your pinned tweet.
- Do not immediately delete the old file. Also, do not abandon it yet. At the very least, post the merger/transfer notice occasionally. You can use a tool like Buffer and Sprout Social to schedule posts ahead of time. Scheduling posts is part of using Instagram strategically.
- Add the new or primary account to your bio with a caption like “follow us to our new home.”
- Make regular references to the old account on your new account. Doing this will let your followers from the old account know that they’re in the right place.
Method 1: Redirect Username
Say you have two similar accounts, Account A and Account B.
Account A has 10X more followers than Account B You, however, like the username Account B more.
Since there’s no way to merge the two accounts, you can use this method to change the username of the account with 10X more followers to Account B.
First, change Account B’s username to another name. Then immediately, change Account A’s username to Account B.
Even though you retain first refusal on the username for 14 days, it’s best to do it right away.
How to Change Account Username on Instagram
Here’s how to change an account’s username on Instagram:
STEP 1: Log in or switch to the Instagram account you want to alter.
STEP 2: Tap the profile tab at the bottom right corner of the screen.
STEP 3: Click the “Edit Profile” below your number of followers.
STEP 4: Click on the existing username.
STEP 5: Enter your new username and click done. Click “Done” on the “Edit Profile” page to complete the name change.
Method 2: Create a new main account and delete the others
This solution is more feasible for dealing with two small Instagram accounts. These are accounts where you’ve only posted a few times or have a small number of followers on both pages.
The trick is to download all the posts from the two accounts and then repost them on the new account.
Instagram provides how you can download all your data. Then you can delete the accounts afterward.
How to Download Your Data on Instagram
Instagram provides how you can download all your data, including posts and reels.
Here’s how:
STEP 1: Log into the target account.
STEP 2: Tap the portrait icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
STEP 3: Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) at the top right corner of the screen.
STEP 4: Click on “Settings.”
STEP 5: In the search text box, enter “Download.” Click the auto-completed “Download your information” result.
STEP 6: Enter your email address and click “Request Download.” You should receive your data within 48 hours.
How to Delete an Instagram Account
The next step is to delete the small accounts.
We recommend that you wait a while before you do this.
During the waiting period, encourage your audience to follow the new account.
Here’s how to delete an Instagram account.
STEP 1: Log into the account.
STEP 2: Tap the profile icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
STEP 3: Tap the menu (three horizontal lines) at the top right corner of the screen.
STEP 4: Click “Settings.”
STEP 5: Click “Accounts.”
STEP 6: Scroll down and click “Delete account.”
STEP 7: Choose to permanently delete your account instead of Instagram’s suggestion to temporarily disable the account. Then follow the prompts after to confirm you want to delete the account.
There you have it. These are two of our recommended alternative strategies to the absence of any formal way to merge Instagram accounts.
Similar Tutorials Types to Check Out
In the spirit of merging and migrating, we have selected a few tutorials to aid your productivity online.
- How to Migrate a WordPress Website: In this tutorial, get all the details on migrating your WordPress website to another platform.
- How To Move From Squarespace To WordPress: Move your Squarespace website to WordPress without hiccups. Learn how in this post.
- How to Do a Mail Merge in Google Docs: Google Docs does not have a native mail merge feature like Microsoft Word or Excel. This guide provides a workaround to this challenge.
Wrapping Up
Instagram does not have a native way to merge Instagram accounts.
Alternative strategies you can employ include redirecting usernames and creating a new account while directing followers of your old account to the new one.
These strategies are not ideal, but half-bread is better than none.
We hope this article provides you with a good option for managing multiple Instagram accounts.
If you’re having any challenges on Instagram, let us know in the comments, and we’ll reply ASAP.
