Having an Instagram business account can provide numerous benefits, including the ability to view your Instagram insights and connect to those who are related to your business one way or another. Sometimes you may decide to switch back to your Instagram personal account. However, you should be aware that if you switch back to a personal profile, you will lose your previous post insights – and this is not reversible! Also, returning to a personal account is only available through the mobile app. Let’s see how you can switch back to your Instagram personal account.

Instagram account types

Instagram users can choose between two types of accounts: personal and professional accounts. An Instagram personal account allows you to access all of the platform’s basic functions; posts, reels, IGTV videos, and download stories. However, you cannot track the performance of your posts or access detailed analytics. Professional Instagram accounts are divided into two types: business accounts and Instagram creator accounts. These accounts grant you access to a wealth of creator-friendly tools, such as insights and promotions.

How to switch back to a personal Instagram account

Switching from an Instagram business profile to a personal account is simple and takes only about five minutes! The difficult part is deciding whether to make the shift in the first place. If you’ve already made up your mind, here’s how to return to your Instagram personal account:

• Launch the Instagram app.
• Navigate to your Instagram Business Page.
• In the upper right corner of your Instagram profile, tap the menu button.
• Select Settings.
• Select Account from the drop-down menu.
• Scroll down to the “Switch Account Type” section.
• Select “Change to Personal Account.”
• Read the pop-up and then toggle the switch.

Should you switch back to a personal Instagram account?

If you’ve ever attempted to switch from your Instagram personal account to a business account, you’ve probably seen a warning message. It explains why some of the app’s features are unavailable on your personal account. Some people may not consider the loss of insights a big deal. However, it can be disastrous for professional brands and businesses that rely on Instagram as their primary social media marketing platform. Your final decision between a personal and business account is determined by your needs and preferences. Let’s now look at the benefits and drawbacks of switching to your personal account.

Personal Account advantages

Private Account: This is most likely the most significant benefit of having an Instagram personal account. You can enable the “Private Account” option in your “Privacy” settings. It will ensure that only your followers can see your Instagram posts. You can also approve or reject follower requests to limit whether new users can see your posts or not.

Improved organic reach: A number of content creators and influencers have indicated that switching their Instagram accounts to personal improved the organic reach of their posts. This isn’t surprising, given that the Instagram algorithm may suppress business accounts’ organic reach to force them to run ads. However, there is no hard data to back up this claim. As a result, switching to a personal Instagram account solely to increase your organic reach is not a good idea.

Disadvantages of deactivating your business account

Audience engagement analytics: The best aspect of having an Instagram business profile is accessing useful audience engagement analytics. You can track the organic and paid reach of your posts and gain a better understanding of the demographics of your followers. When you switch to a personal account, you lose access to the “Insights” dashboard. Additionally, the data analysis from your previous posts is deleted. Even if you switch back to a business account, you will never be able to recover this data.

Contact Options: Your Instagram personal account, unlike a business account, does not have a “Contact” button. This means that your followers cannot contact you via phone, email, Facebook page, or website.

Instagram scheduling tool: If you’re managing an Instagram business profile, you probably plan and publish your posts using a social media tool. Tailwind’s Instagram scheduling tool, SmartSchedule, allows you to draft and schedule Instagram posts for weeks in advance – and automatically publishes your posts at the right time.

However, auto-posting is only accessible for business accounts. While you can still plan posts from your personal account, Tailwind will not upload them for you. Instead, you’ll have to rely on the app’s push notifications to notify you to publish the post.

Conclusion

It is very simple to switch back to a personal account from a business one. However, if you’re a content marketer or content creator, you shouldn’t be wondering how to switch back to your Instagram personal account in the first place. Instead, consider the implications of making the switch and determine whether it is the right decision. A personal account gives you greater control over who can see your content. But you lose access to valuable audience insights and other tools.