How to Fix "Business Accounts Can‘t Be Private" on Instagram

Instagram business accounts provide useful features like analytics and a professional dashboard. But they come with a tradeoff – business accounts cannot be set to private. If you try to make your business profile private, you‘ll get an error saying "Business accounts can‘t be private."

Fortunately, you‘re not stuck with a public business account. You can switch back to a personal profile to gain access to private settings again. Here‘s a step-by-step guide to making your Instagram account private after switching from a business to a personal profile.

Understanding Instagram Business Accounts

First, let‘s quickly go through what makes an Instagram business account different than a personal profile.

A business account on Instagram comes with features tailored for brands, creators, and organizations. Some key benefits include:

• Insights: View analytics on your followers, engagement, reach, and more.

• Professional Dashboard: Access marketing resources and best practices from Instagram.

• Contact Options: Add contact info like phone, email, or address to your profile.

• Promotions: Run ads and get access to digital marketing tools.

• Analytics: Track the performance of your organic and paid content.

However, the key tradeoff with an Instagram business account is that it must remain public.

Why Instagram Business Accounts Can‘t Be Private

When you convert your personal Instagram account to a business profile, you lose the ability to make it private. Instagram doesn‘t allow business accounts to be private for a couple reasons:

• Brand Building: Instagram wants businesses to be discoverable. A public profile allows new users to find and engage with your brand.

• Analytics: Data on followers and engagement is only available on public business profiles. Insights require an open account.

• Advertising: Promoted posts need to be visible to wide audiences, which private accounts limit.

Making business accounts public helps Instagram push brands to build engagement and advertise on the platform.

How to Fix “Business Accounts Can’t Be Private”

So what should you do if you have a business account but want a private profile? Let‘s go through the steps to switch from a business to a personal account so you can enable private mode.

Step 1: Go to Your Instagram Profile Settings

First, open the Instagram app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right. This will take you to your profile page.

Then, tap the three line menu button in the top right corner.

In the menu, choose "Settings" to open your account settings.

Step 2: Tap Account in Settings

In Settings, scroll down to the section labeled "Account" and tap into it.

This will open your general account settings.

Step 3: Tap Switch Account Type

Scroll to the bottom of the Account settings page and tap "Switch to Professional Account."

Tapping this will open the account type switcher.

Step 4: Switch to a Personal Account

You‘ll now see an option to "Switch to Personal Account." Tap this to convert your Instagram account back to a personal profile.

Read the confirmation message, then tap "Switch" to confirm you want to switch to a personal account.

Step 5: Make Your Personal Account Private

Once your account has been switched back to personal, you can make it private again!

First, go back to your profile settings. Then go to the "Privacy" section of settings.

Under "Account Privacy", turn on the toggle for "Private Account".

Tap "Switch to Private" to confirm you want to make your personal Instagram profile private.

And that‘s it! With your account now switched back to a personal profile, you‘ll be able to set it to private without any issues.

Considerations Before Switching to a Personal Account

Before you go ahead and switch from a business to a personal account, keep a few things in mind:

• You‘ll lose access to Instagram business profile features like insights and the professional dashboard.

• Any analytics data associated with your business profile will not transfer over. Make sure to download reports before switching accounts if you want to retain the data.

• You can switch back and forth between a business and personal profile at any time. But it might get confusing for your audience.

• A personal account limits some advertising options and Instagram shopping features.

• You can only set one personal account to private at a time. So if you have multiple Instagram accounts, be aware of this limitation.

For most brands, having a public business profile is recommended to maximize reach and engagement. But in some cases, going private for a period can help manage interactions. Do what makes the most sense for your goals on Instagram.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions around switching from an Instagram business account to a personal profile:

Can I switch back to a business account after going private?

Yes, you can switch freely between a personal and business profile at any time. Instagram allows account type changes in Settings.

What happens to my insights data if I go private?

Your historical analytics will not carry over after you switch from business to personal. Be sure to download any data reports you want before making the change.

Does my handle/username change when I switch account types?

No, your Instagram handle will stay the same even after switching from business to personal. Only your profile features change.

Can I use Instagram shopping features with a personal profile?

No, shopping capabilities like product tags and shoppable posts are only available on public Instagram business profiles.

Can I run Instagram ads with a private account?

No, you cannot run advertising campaigns with a private Instagram profile. Ads require a public business account connected to Facebook.

Final Takeaways

• Business accounts get access to professional tools but cannot be private.

• Switch to a personal profile if you want to make your Instagram private.

• Download analytics data before converting your account type.

• You can go back and forth between business and personal profiles.

• Carefully weigh the pros and cons before giving up business features to go private.

Switching your Instagram account type can provide more control over privacy and interactions. But make sure you understand the impacts to your brand presence before making the change from business to personal.