Making your Instagram account public in three steps

A public Instagram account lets anyone on Instagram find you, see your posts, and follow you without your permission. A private account means only people you approve can see your posts and follow you. To switch from private to public, you go to your account settings, find the privacy option, and turn off the private account toggle. The change takes effect when ready.

This is different from deactivating or deleting your account — you are keeping your account active and just changing who can see it. Your posts, followers, and follower count all stay exactly as they are.

Key Takeaways

  • You can switch between private and public at any time by going to Settings, then Privacy, and toggling Private Account on or off.
  • When you make your account public, all your old posts become visible to anyone on Instagram, not just your approved followers.
  • People who already follow you stay your followers — making your account public does not remove them.
  • You can still block specific people or restrict who can comment on your posts even with a public account.

Step-by-step: switching to a public account on your phone

Open Instagram and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the top right, then tap Settings and Privacy. Tap Account Type and Privacy. You will see a toggle next to "Private Account" — if it is currently on (usually shown in blue or highlighted), tap it to turn it off. Instagram will ask you to confirm; tap the confirmation button. Your account is now public.

The whole process takes less than a minute. You do not need to restart the app or do anything else — the change is live as soon as you confirm it.

What happens to your posts and followers when you go public

All your existing posts become visible to anyone with an Instagram account, whether they follow you or not. People can search for your username and find your profile. Your follower count and the list of people who follow you remain unchanged — no one is removed as a follower just because you made your account public.

People who were already following you stay your followers. New people can now follow you without you having to approve them first. If you posted things while your account was private that you do not want public, you can delete individual posts before or after making your account public — making the account public does not force you to keep any post you do not want.

Controlling who can comment and message you on a public account

Making your account public does not mean you have to let everyone comment on your posts or message you. You can still restrict comments and messages even with a public account. Go to Settings and Privacy, tap Interactions, and you will find options to limit who can comment on your posts and who can message you.

You can also turn off comments on individual posts after you post them. If someone comments something you do not want on your public posts, you can delete their comment or block them entirely. Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, posts, or stories, and they cannot follow you.

Switching back to private if you change your mind

You can switch your account back to private at any time using the same steps: Settings and Privacy, Account Type and Privacy, then toggle Private Account back on. When you do, your posts become visible only to your approved followers again. People who are not following you cannot see your posts or search results for your profile.

Switching back to private does not remove your followers — everyone who was following you stays your follower. If you had pending follow requests from people waiting for approval, those requests are still there waiting when you switch back to private.

Making your account public on a computer or web browser

If you are using Instagram on a computer, go to your profile and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Click Settings, then Privacy. Click Account Type and Privacy. You will see the Private Account toggle — click it to turn it off. Confirm the change when Instagram asks you to.

The web version works the same way as the phone app, and the change takes effect when ready across all devices. If you are logged into Instagram on your phone and your computer at the same time, you may need to refresh the app on your phone to see the change reflected there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people I blocked still be able to see my public posts?

No. Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, posts, and stories, even if your account is public. The block stays in place regardless of whether your account is private or public. If you unblock them later, they can then see your public posts.

Can I make my account public but hide certain posts?

You cannot hide individual posts from public view once your account is public — they are either visible to everyone or not visible at all. If you want some posts to be private, you can delete them, or you can switch your entire account back to private. Another option is to use Instagram Stories or Direct Messages to share things with only specific people.

What if I make my account public by accident?

You can switch it back to private when ready using the same steps. Go to Settings and Privacy, tap Account Type and Privacy, and toggle Private Account back on. Your posts will no longer be visible to people who do not follow you. No one is notified when you change your privacy settings.

Do my followers get notified when I switch from private to public?

No. Your followers are not notified about privacy setting changes. People who follow you can still see your posts whether your account is private or public — the change only affects whether new people can find and follow you without approval.