How to Create an Instagram Account: App, Computer and the Rules First

If you already have a Facebook or Instagram account, Instagram also lets you use it to create the new one, and both end up in the same Accounts Center. That choice decides how your logins connect later, so it's worth a minute's thought before you tap through. Here's the whole process, plus the rules in Instagram's Terms of Use that trip people up at sign-up.

Before you start: the sign-up rules

Instagram's Terms of Use set out who can have an account. These are the lines that matter when you're creating one:

• You must be at least 13 years old, or the minimum legal age in your country, to use Instagram.
• You don't have to disclose your identity, but you must give accurate and up to date information, including your registration details.
• You can't create an account for someone else unless you have their express permission.
• You can't use a domain name or URL in your username without Instagram's prior written consent.
• You can't have an account if Instagram has previously disabled yours for violating the law or its policies.

The URL rule is easy to miss if you run a business: a username like yourshop.com breaks the Terms as written, so pick a handle without the web address in it. For the age rules by country, see how old you have to be to have Instagram.

Two ways to create an Instagram account

Route	What you need	Best for
Instagram app (iPhone or Android)	The app from the App Store or Google Play, plus a phone number or email	Most people: you'll use the app day to day
Instagram.com in a browser	A computer or mobile browser, plus a phone number or email	Setting up on a laptop, or when the app won't install
Your existing Facebook or Instagram account	Your current login	Keeping accounts together in one Accounts Center

How to create an Instagram account in the app

1. Download the Instagram app from the App Store on iPhone or the Google Play Store on Android. Instagram's help suggests connecting to Wi-Fi first for the best result if the download struggles.
2. Open the app and choose to create a new account.
3. Add your phone number or email address when asked.
4. Enter your name, then choose a username and a password.
5. Follow the remaining on-screen steps and complete sign-up.

Use a phone number or email you'll keep. Instagram's password help says that when you reset a forgotten password, a link is sent to your email or phone, so an address you no longer check makes getting back in much harder.

How to create an Instagram account on a computer

1. Go to instagram.com in your browser.
2. Choose to sign up for a new account.
3. Enter your phone number or email, your name, a username and a password.
4. Follow the on-screen steps to finish.

Creating it from a Facebook or existing Instagram account

Instagram's help page says that if you already have an existing Facebook or Instagram account, you can use it to create a new Instagram account, and both accounts will be added to the same Accounts Center and have access to connected experiences. It also notes Instagram is gradually moving people to Meta Accounts, so you may see either Accounts Center or Meta Account settings as the place you manage this.

If you already have Instagram and want a second profile, for a business for example, the add-account route is quicker. In the app, Instagram's steps are: go to your profile, tap your profile name at the top, tap Add Instagram account, then Create new account, enter the new profile name and continue. You can add it to Accounts Center or tap Create password instead to keep it separate. I go through that in detail in how to create a second Instagram account.

After you sign up

• People may see you're new. Instagram says that if you created your account recently, people on Instagram may see that you have a new account.
• Saving your login. You may be asked to save your login info. If you do, you won't need to enter it next time you log in on that device.
• Switching between accounts. Instagram says you can have up to 10 accounts logged in at one time and switch between them without logging out.
• Going professional. If the account is for a business, my guide to creating a business Instagram account covers switching it over.

If sign-up isn't working

• Update the app first. Instagram's help recommends updating to the latest version when something's not working.
• If the app won't download, check your connection and try Wi-Fi.
• Try the other route: if the app keeps failing, create the account at Instagram.com in a browser instead.

My verdict

Sign up in the app with a phone number or email you'll still have in five years, choose a username without a web address in it, and decide at the start whether this account should sit in the same Accounts Center as your Facebook. Get those three right and you avoid the login problems that come from a lost email or a mixed-up Accounts Center.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create an Instagram account?

Open the Instagram app or go to Instagram.com, choose to create a new account, add your phone number or email, pick a name, username and password, and complete sign-up.

How old do you have to be to create an Instagram account?

You must be at least 13 years old, or the minimum legal age in your country, to use Instagram.

Can I create an Instagram account with Facebook?

Yes. Instagram says you can use an existing Facebook or Instagram account to create a new Instagram account, and both are added to the same Accounts Center.

Can I put my website in my Instagram username?

Instagram's Terms of Use say you can't use a domain name or URL in your username without its prior written consent.

Can I create an Instagram account on a computer?

Yes. Instagram says you can create a new account from the Instagram app or Instagram.com.