Change your email in Settings on the app or website
To change the email address on your Instagram account, open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right, then tap Settings and privacy. Select Account information, then tap Email. Enter your new email address and tap Change email. Instagram will send a confirmation link to that new address — you must click it within 24 hours or the change will not go through.
If you are using Instagram on a computer, the steps are the same: click your profile picture in the top right, select Settings and privacy, choose Account information, click Email, type the new address, and click Change email. You will still receive a confirmation email that you need to verify.
The email address you enter must not already be connected to another Instagram account. If it is, you will see an error message. You can use the same email for multiple accounts only if you remove it from the other account first.
Key Takeaways
- You change your email through Settings and privacy > Account information > Email on both the app and website.
- Instagram sends a confirmation link to your new email address, and you have 24 hours to click it or the change cancels.
- The new email cannot already be attached to another Instagram account.
- If you forget your password, Instagram uses your email address to send a reset link, so update it before you lose access to the old address.
- Changing your email does not affect your username, followers, posts, or any other part of your account.
What happens if you do not verify the confirmation email
When you request an email change, Instagram sends a message to the new address with a link that says Confirm your new email. You have 24 hours to click that link. If you do not, Instagram cancels the change and your account stays connected to the old email.
Check your spam or promotions folder if you do not see the confirmation email in your inbox. Gmail and Outlook sometimes sort automated messages there. If you still cannot find it after 15 minutes, go back to Settings and request the change again — Instagram will send a new confirmation link.
Changing your email when you no longer have access to the old one
If you cannot log into your old email account, you cannot verify the new email address through the normal process. Instead, go to the Instagram login page and tap Need more help? below the login box. Select Can't log in?, enter your username or phone number, and tap Next. Instagram will ask you to verify your identity — you can do this by taking a photo of yourself holding a piece of paper with a code Instagram gives you.
Once Instagram confirms your identity, you can change your email address without needing to verify the old one. This process takes a few hours to a few days depending on how quickly Instagram reviews your photo.
Updating your email if you use Facebook to log in
If you created your Instagram account through Facebook or you log in using your Facebook account, your Instagram email is tied to your Facebook email. Changing the email in Instagram Settings will not work — you must change it through Facebook instead.
Log into Facebook, go to Settings and privacy > Settings, click Personal information, and click Email. Change your email there, and the change will automatically update on Instagram within a few hours. If you want to use a different email just for Instagram, you will need to unlink your Facebook account first, then change the email in Instagram Settings.
Why you should update your email before you forget your password
Your email address is how Instagram sends you a password reset link if you get locked out of your account. If your email address is outdated and you forget your password, you will not receive the reset link and you may lose access to your account. Updating your email takes 30 seconds and prevents this problem.
If you have already lost access to both your account and your old email, you can still recover your account by going to the login page, tapping Need more help?, and verifying your identity with a photo. This takes longer than a simple password reset, so keeping your email current saves you time.
What does not change when you update your email
Changing your email address does not affect your username, password, followers, following list, posts, stories, messages, or any other part of your account. Your account looks and works exactly the same to you and to everyone who follows you. The only thing that changes is the email address Instagram uses to contact you and to let you back in if you forget your password.
People cannot see your email address on your profile, so changing it does not change what others see about you. Only you and Instagram know what email is connected to your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same email for multiple Instagram accounts?
No. Each email address can only be connected to one Instagram account at a time. If you want to use an email for a different account, you must remove it from the first account by changing that account's email to something else.
How long does it take for the email change to go through?
Once you click the confirmation link in the email Instagram sends you, the change is instant. If you do not click the link within 24 hours, the change does not happen and your email stays the same.
What if I change my email but then change my mind?
You can change it back anytime. Go to Settings and privacy > Account information > Email, enter your old email address, and verify it the same way you verified the new one. There is no limit to how many times you can change your email.
Will my followers know I changed my email?
No. Your followers cannot see your email address, and changing it does not send them any notification. Your account appears unchanged to everyone except you.
What if Instagram says my new email is already in use?
That email is connected to another Instagram account. If it is your own account, log into that account and change its email to something else first. If it belongs to someone else, you cannot use that email unless they remove it from their account.