Instagram Age Verification (2026): Video Selfie, ID and What Happens to Your Data

That's the whole mechanism in two sentences. What catches people out is everything around it: when the request appears, which documents count, how long your ID is kept, and the fact that Instagram has a second, completely different selfie check that looks almost the same.

When Instagram asks you to confirm your age

Instagram Help says you need to be at least 13 to sign up, and if you want the country by country picture, my guide to Instagram's minimum age covers it. This page is about the check itself.

According to Help, there are three situations where you can be asked to confirm your age:

• In some regions, you may need to confirm your age simply to keep using your account.
• You may need to verify your age to use certain features.
• You may need to verify it to change the date of birth on your account. Help gives one specific trigger: if you're under 16 and try to change your age to over 16, you'll be asked for more information.

The date of birth rule applies to every account, not only personal ones. Help is clear that accounts set up for a pet, a hobby or a brand still need a date of birth. So a business profile still needs a date of birth behind it. You can review and edit the date of birth in your settings, and it isn't shown on your profile, even when the account is public.

Video selfie or ID: the two routes compared

Instagram Help names Yoti as the third-party age verification service it partners with. Through it you can take a video selfie or upload an ID. Here's the catch: both routes are regional. The video selfie article says the feature is only available in some countries, and when the ID article was fetched, Help showed a message saying the feature isn't available in that location. Which options you see depends on where you are.

Route	What you do	What Instagram says happens to it
Video selfie	Follow the on-screen prompts and move your face left, right, up and down	An image from the selfie goes to the vendor, whose technology only estimates age; Instagram deletes the image within 30 days
ID upload	Photograph an accepted ID, covering anything you don't need to share	Stored securely, not visible to anyone on Instagram; how long it's kept depends on what it's used for
Selfie kept for ads or Meta Verified	Submit a selfie as part of ads authorisation or Meta Verified	Stored for up to 180 days, or up to one year for political ads or suspected fraud

Two promises sit behind the selfie route. Help says the vendor's technology can't identify specific people, and no other information about you is shared with the vendor. Whatever you submit, Instagram says the details won't be visible on your profile, to friends or to other people on Instagram.

Taking the video selfie, step by step

The selfie route is the quicker of the two, and Help lays out what to expect:

1. Choose to take a video selfie when Instagram asks you to verify your age.
2. If you haven't used the camera inside Instagram before, allow camera access when you're asked.
3. Find enough light and make sure your whole face is visible. Take off anything that blocks it, such as a mask or a hat.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and move your face in the directions shown: right and left, then up and down.
5. Submit the selfie. You can carry on using Instagram or close the app.
6. Wait for the notification with the outcome. Help says verification can take up to 20 minutes.

Which IDs Instagram accepts

Help says you usually need a copy of something showing your full name and photo, or your full name plus an indication of your age. Government and non-government documents are both on the list, split into two groups.

One item from this group is enough: birth certificate, driving licence, passport, marriage certificate, official name change paperwork, insurance documents, a non-driver government ID such as a national ID card, a visa or residence permit, a voter registration document, a proof of age card or a tax identification document, among others.

Or two different items from this group, with matching names, where one shows your photo and one shows your age: a bank statement, travel pass, credit card, library card, medical record, membership or work ID, payslip or school ID card.

Two rules from Help save you a rejected upload. Send only the documents you're asked for, because extras can slow the review. And never blur or edit your ID digitally, as digitally modified photos aren't accepted. If there's information you'd rather not share, such as an ID number or social security number, cover it physically with your finger or a piece of paper before you take the photo.

What happens to your selfie or ID afterwards

Instagram Help says your ID is stored securely and used to confirm your identity. It can also be used to help detect fake IDs, prevent scams, phishing and fraud, and meet legal obligations, with both manual review and automated systems involved.

The part most people never read is the storage time, because it changes with the purpose. Help says Instagram tells you before you upload how long the ID can be kept. Its own example: an ID uploaded to get verified to run ads, or for Meta Verified, is stored for up to 180 days. For ads about social issues, elections or politics, or where fraud or abuse is suspected, that can stretch to up to one year. The separate article on selfies gives the same 180 days for ads authorisation or Meta Verified.

One practical tip from Help that I'd follow every time: the photo you took of your ID may still be sitting in your phone's gallery. Delete it once the upload is done.

The other selfie request, and why it isn't an age check

Instagram also asks for video selfies to confirm your identity, usually around account access. It looks similar because you turn your head in different directions, but it's a different process with different stakes. Help says that while an identity selfie is being reviewed, you won't have access to your account. Pass, and you may get an email at your secure address with a link to reset your password. Fail, and you'll get an email, and you may be able to resubmit in the app. Refuse, and you may not be able to log back in.

If your account is locked rather than asking about your age, you're dealing with identity, not age, and my explainer on why Instagram asks for ID is the better place to start. To see whether anything else is wrong with the account, check your Instagram account status too.

If Instagram decides you're too young

If your account is under review for being under 13, or the date of birth you added puts you under 13, Help says you'll see a message that you're not old enough to use Instagram and the account will be removed. If that's wrong, you can appeal:

1. Tap Appeal at the bottom of the message.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions and submit a valid ID.
3. Wait for the review. Help says it may take up to 30 days.
4. If Instagram finds it made a mistake, it lets you know and restores the account.

Teen accounts are handled differently from the start. Help says accounts for people under 16, or under 18 in certain countries, are set to private by default. Parents who want more say over a teen's account should look at Instagram's parental controls instead.

My take for business owners

I'd start with the video selfie whenever it's offered. It's quick, you get an answer in up to 20 minutes, and the image is deleted within 30 days. I'd skip the ID route unless the selfie isn't available where you are or Instagram insists, and if you do use it, cover the numbers you don't need to share and delete the photo afterwards. Above all, read the request before you act on it: an age check and an identity check aren't the same thing, and mixing them up wastes days.

If you look after brand or client accounts and age or ID checks keep slowing your team down, building a calm, repeatable account routine is something I help with. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Does Instagram show my age or ID to anyone?

No. Instagram Help says the information you give for age verification won't be visible on your profile, to friends or to other people on Instagram, and your date of birth isn't shown even on a public account.

How long does Instagram keep my age verification selfie?

For an age check, Help says the image is deleted within 30 days once your age has been estimated. Selfies used for ads authorisation or Meta Verified can be kept for up to 180 days, or up to one year in political ads or suspected fraud cases.

Can I verify my age on Instagram with an ID instead of a selfie?

Sometimes. Help lists both a video selfie and an ID upload, but both are only available in some countries, so the options you see depend on your location.

How long does an Instagram age appeal take?

If you're told you're not old enough and you disagree, you tap Appeal and submit a valid ID. Help says the review may take up to 30 days, and the account is restored if Instagram finds it made a mistake.