Instagram Business accounts give you access to analytics, advertising features, and much more, meaning they’re incredibly popular among professionals and small business owners.

However, there may come a time when you want to loosen your digital tie, put your feet up, and slip off into social media obscurity. After all, Business accounts are public, leaving your page open to anyone who wishes to browse it. 

In this article, we’ll run through how to turn off a Business account on Instagram, whether you’re using a smartphone or a desktop device. 

What do Instagram Business accounts offer?

Instagram-business

For those looking to broaden their business horizons, Instagram can act as a huge digital billboard, displaying the brand to a huge, untapped audience. With a Business account, you can openly announce your brand’s ethos and offerings, using tools to land your posts in front of relevant communities. 

Couldn’t you do this with a standard Instagram account, you may ask? Well, sort of. But you’d be missing out on features and tools that make the process easier and help to drive more sales, such as:

📊 Analytics: Business accounts offer heaps of analytics that you can study to help your account perform better. You can check how your posts are doing, which demographics they are reaching, and which ones are really hitting the spot among your followers.

📢 Advertising: If you have a Business account, you can run adverts targeted specifically at your chosen demographic to help you grow on Instagram. This targeting can increase your hit rate, as your ad won’t be landing on the Instagram feeds of the uninterested.

💰 Selling: If you’ve got things to sell, Instagram Business accounts allow you to sell directly on the platform, using links in posts and stories. This can be incredibly lucrative, as 130 million Instagram users clicked on shopping posts in 2024.

📞 Contact details: When you’re running an online business, great customer service is essential, which is why Business accounts allow you to display contact details on your page.

🥊 Competitor analytics: Not only can you browse your own analytics with a Business account, but you can also see where your direct competitors are prospering/faltering. 

Want to start earning on Instagram? Check out ways to monetize your account such as ecommerce stores, paid communities, and so much more.

Why would you want to turn off your Instagram Business account?

Now, the above features all seem to make a convincing argument for why you should have an Instagram Business account for your company. However, there are some pretty valid reasons why you might want to put your Business account on hold, or even turn it off for good. 

🔐 Privacy: All Instagram Business accounts are public, which means that anyone can have access to your business posts and content. If you are a sole trader and wish to have a bit of time out, you may want to restrict access to your account. 

👫 Customer relationships: Some people may perceive Instagram Business accounts to be impersonal, which can prevent them from feeling fully engaged and happy with your business

🤖 Compromised by bots: While Instagram can be a place to build connections with customers, there’s an unfortunate dark side: bots. These bots will often target the ads put out by Instagram Business accounts, spamming posts with ill-mannered content and potential scams. 

🎶 Adding music to content: Instagram’s music feature allows you to add a bit of tuneful flair to your content. However, Business accounts only have access to Meta’s royalty-free selection, which will prevent you from being able to hop on certain social media trends.

😌 Ease: Business accounts are packed with features and forms that brands can use to give out more information about their company. However, some people may prefer the simplicity of a regular Instagram account. 

Want to start selling on Instagram but aren’t sure where to start? Our comprehensive guide is packed with tips, examples, and best practices.

How to turn off your Instagram Business account on your smartphone

The method you use to turn off your Instagram Business account will depend on whether you’re using the app on your mobile or desktop device. Let’s start by running you through the process on your smartphone.

Head to the settings page

settings page

The first step you will need to take is to head to your Settings and activity page. To get here, click on the three parallel lines in the top right corner of your profile page (highlighted above in orange).

Select ‘Business tools and controls’

Business tools and controls

Once you have entered the Settings and activity page, scroll down to the For professionals section. From here, you’ll want to select the Business tools and controls option.

This will take you to the Business area of your settings menu. You’ll be presented with a range of options, but you’ll want to select the Switch account type option toward the bottom of the page.

Switch account type

Select ‘Switch to personal account’

Switch to personal account

Once you have selected Switch account type, the above popup will appear. It will give you the choice between reverting back to a personal account or switching to a creator account.

In this case, we will want to select Switch to personal account. Switching to a creator account is essentially like switching to a different form of Business account which is designed for influencers and content creators. 

If you choose this option, your page will remain public and you will still have access to growth statistics. Creator accounts also give you access to a more advanced direct messaging system, which gives you three filters for your inbox. 

In short, if you are feeling like turning off your Instagram Business account, you’ll be unlikely to want to start up a creator account.

Finalize your decision

Confirm

After you choose the Switch to personal account option, you’ll be met with one final popup. This will reiterate all the features you’ll be saying goodbye to once you turn off your Instagram Business account. 

This may feel slightly intimidating, with the big red lettering doing no favors for hesitant users. However, changing to a personal account doesn’t have to be permanent.

To finalize your decision, tap the Switch to Personal Account option. You will then find that your Instagram account has reverted back to its pre-corporate self, allowing you to make your account private once more.

How to turn off your Instagram Business account on desktop

If you use Instagram on a desktop device, the process for turning off your Business account is slightly different. The emphasis is strongly on the word ‘slightly’ here, as the options you’ll be clicking on are largely the same.

Head to the Settings page

desktop Settings page

Instead of having to click on three lines, to access Instagram’s Settings page on desktop, you’ll have to click on an image of a cog. The cog is situated in the top right corner of the page, where we have highlighted it in an orange box.

Click on Business tools and controls

desktop Business tools

Once you have been redirected to the settings page, you’ll then be required to click on Business tools and controls. Once you have done so, you will be taken to a page with two options under the heading of Business.

These are Switch to creator account or Switch to Personal Account, similar to how it is on smartphones. 

As we have previously said, to revert back to a personal account, you’ll want to click on the second option.

Business

Finalize your decision

confirm switch

Again, you’ll be met with a popup highlighting what you’ll be missing out on once you choose to return to a personal account. If you are sure about your decision, don’t be put off by the red lettering; click on Switch Back.

That’s it. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll have regained your personal Instagram account.

Reactivating an Instagram Business account 

Having second thoughts? Don’t worry. Turning off your Instagram Business account doesn’t have to be a permanent decision. If you want to regain access to the features it provides, you can. Here’s how:

Head to the Settings page

Settings

Once again, head over to the Settings page. This will look slightly different depending on whether you’re using a smartphone (top image) or a desktop device (bottom image). 

If you are on a desktop device, you will be greeted with a popup asking where you would like to navigate to next. You’ll want to choose the Settings and privacy option.

Settings and privacy

Select Account type and tools

Account type and tools

Once you have arrived on the Settings page, you’ll have to scroll down to find the next selection, Account type and tools. You’ll find it below the For families section on both smartphones (pictured left) and desktop (pictured right).

Switch to professional account

Switch to professional account

The next step will be to click on Switch to professional account, after which you will be asked what best describes you as a user. This initial choice is far more comprehensive on smartphones (pictured left), with desktop users only able to choose between Creator or Business.

Creator or Business

However, if you are using a desktop device, you’ll be able to choose your category after selecting the Next button. Once you have done so, your switch to a professional account will be finalized. 

Smartphone users will have to navigate a more complex menu of options before they can finish up. This involves filling in more detailed forms, learning how to grow an audience, and more, as pictured on the left below.

Smartphone

Once you have filled in the final pieces of information, your professional Instagram account will be ready to use. 

Build your community with Whop 🙌

If you’ve grown tired of the intrusive nature of Instagram but still need a hub for your business, don’t worry, Whop is here to help!

With Whop, you can create, grow, and monetize communities within a single platform, without having to worry about bots or trolls. You can also create a membership platform, charging a monthly fee for access to your content. 

If you don’t want to make a full transition to Whop, you can run your Whop community alongside your Instagram following. Just insert the link to your Whop community into your Instagram bio.

So, why wait? Explore Whop today and see how you can make the most out of your online community.


FAQs

Will I lose my followers if I turn off my Instagram Business account?

Turning off your Instagram Business account and reverting to a personal account will have no effect on your follower count. It won’t affect your posts either. The only thing that you will lose is access to business features such as analytics, advertising, and selling.

How many times can I switch from a business to a personal account?

There is no limit on the number of times that you can switch between having a Business and a personal Instagram account. However, you won’t want to keep changing between the two otherwise you’ll risk confusing your followers.

Can I use a personal account to promote my business?

You can set up a personal Instagram account for your business, but you won’t have access to advertising and selling tools. What you will be able to do is put a link to your store in your bio and grow your presence organically through consistent posting. 

Does Instagram have to verify your Business account?

Creating a Business account on Instagram is incredibly simple and doesn’t require any form of verification. The process is instant too, so you’ll gain access to Business account features as soon as you have completed the signup forms. 

Do you have to pay for a Business account?

You don’t have to pay any sort of monthly fee in order to set up and run an Instagram Business account. However, if you want to run adverts on the platform, you will be charged. The amount you’re charged depends on how long the advert runs for and how many accounts you wish to reach.