Open an Instagram account and set it up in one sitting

Write one sentence before you open the app: this account helps (who) with (what). The username, the photo, the bio and the first post all get easier to choose with that sentence in front of you.

Decide who the account belongs to. A person, a business and a creator project can all start the same way, because Instagram's Help Center says you can switch to a professional account, switch back to a personal one, or change between Business and Creator at any time.

Two rules come first. You must be at least 13 years old to create an Instagram profile. And Instagram asks you to use your own birthday, even if the account is for a business, a pet or something else.

Instagram's Help Center, read on 15 October 2026, gives these steps for the app. You can also create an account on instagram.com.

1. Download the Instagram app from the App Store or Google Play, then open it.
2. Tap Create New Account, enter your email address or mobile number, then tap Next.
3. Enter the confirmation code Instagram sends to that email or number.
4. Create a password.
5. Enter your birthday.
6. Add your name, then create a username.
7. Read Instagram's terms and policies, and tap I agree if you agree.
8. Add a profile picture, or tap Skip and add one later.

Choose an email address that only you can access. The Help Center warns that if you log out and forget your password, you will need that email to get back in.

If you already have a Facebook or Instagram account, you can use it to create a new Instagram account instead. Both accounts are added to the same Accounts Center.

Your username is the @name people type to find you, and your name is the line shown on your profile. Instagram's post on how its search works, written by Adam Mosseri on 25 August 2021, says results are matched by text and that a handle or profile name related to your content is your best bet for showing up in relevant searches. If people know you by a certain name, include it.

If the username you want is taken, the Help Center suggests adding periods, numbers, underscores or abbreviations to find a version that is free. Our Instagram username checker suggests variations and gives you the instagram.com link to open. It cannot see whether a name is free, so open the link or try the name in the app.

You can change both later: tap your profile, then Edit profile. If your account reaches a lot of people, the Help Center says a username change may need review. It also says your followers may be told about the change, so pick a name you can keep.

Choose a photo that is clear at a small size, because people will see it small. Instagram's Help Center says your profile picture is public to everyone, on or off Instagram, even people who do not have an account, so treat it as public.

On instagram.com, click your profile picture on the left to open your profile, click Edit Profile, click Change photo, then click Upload Photo and choose a picture. The Help Center says you can also take a new photo or add one from your phone's photo library or from Facebook.

Your bio can be up to 150 characters, and anyone can see it. Open your profile, tap Edit profile, and write in the Bio field. Say who the account is for and what they get from it.

Use the plain words a stranger would search for. Instagram's search post says it matches the text you type with usernames, bios, captions, hashtags and places, and advises keywords in your bio, plus your location if the account is location-specific. Our guide to writing an Instagram bio goes through the wording.

Instagram's Help Center says you can add up to 5 websites to your profile, and that anyone, on or off Instagram, can see them. In the app, tap Edit profile, then Links, then Add external link, and tap Done.

A professional account is the type for a business or a creator, and Instagram's Help Center describes two kinds. Business accounts are best for retailers, local businesses, brands, organizations and service providers. Creator accounts are best for public figures, content producers, artists and influencers.

Both give you the professional dashboard, Insights, ads, a Contact button and a category label. In the app, tap your profile, then More, then Settings and activity. Below For professionals, tap Account type and tools, then Switch to professional account. Pick a category, which does not decide whether you get Business or Creator, then choose one of the two and tap Next. Our guide to switching to a professional account has every screen.

Two things change. Professional accounts cannot be set to private. And Instagram says your posts and reels may appear in search engine results, which it calls improved discovery. Connecting a Facebook Page is optional, and you can skip adding contact details by tapping Don't use my contact info.

Turn on two-factor authentication before you post. Instagram's security tips call it the single most effective step to protect your account from hackers, because it asks for a code when someone tries to log in from a device Instagram does not recognize.

On instagram.com, click More, then Settings, then Accounts Center, then Password and security. Click Two-factor authentication, choose the account, and choose either text message codes or an authentication app. Follow the prompts. You must be logged in to Instagram to turn it on. While Instagram moves accounts across, you may see Meta Account settings where this guide says Accounts Center.

Use a strong password that you have not used for any other account. And never give your login to an app you do not trust: a tool that asks you to type your Instagram password is not the kind to connect.

Instagram's Help Center says to tap Create at the top of Feed, or swipe right anywhere in Feed, then tap Post at the bottom. Choose a photo or take one, tap Next twice, add a caption or your location, and tap Share.

Let the post answer the sentence from step one: who it is for and what they get. Instagram for Creators says reels are the best way to reach new audiences, and that feed posts and carousels help you engage with your audience. The same FAQ says Instagram recommends videos to unconnected audiences when they are 3 minutes or less.

Put up two or three posts before you tell anyone. That is our suggestion, not Instagram's: a visitor who finds three posts learns more than one who finds an empty grid.

Instagram's Help Center says any public account can use free Insights. After a week, open your profile, tap Professional dashboard (or Your dashboard on a personal account), and tap Insights. Read Views, Interactions and New followers.

Do not expect audience details yet. Demographics need more than 100 accounts reached or engaged, and follower trends need at least 100 followers. Our guide to finding your target audience on Instagram explains each screen once you have them, and how to get your first 100 followers covers the stage in between.

Some things take time or sit outside your control, and it helps to know which.

There is no shortcut to followers. Setup makes a profile worth visiting. It does not bring visitors.

A new account looks new. Instagram's Help Center says people on Instagram may see that you have a new account.

Audience data arrives later. The 100-account and 100-follower thresholds above are Instagram's, and they apply to every account.

Menus change. Every menu path in this guide comes from Instagram's Help Center, read on 15 October 2026. If a label on your screen differs, look for the nearest match.

Automation answers people who reach out first. When a post starts drawing comments, a comment-to-DM automation in inDM can reply with your link. It needs a Business or Creator account, which step six gave you, and it connects through Instagram's own login, so inDM never sees your password. It cannot message people who never contacted you, and you do not need it in week one.