How to create an Instagram account and get it ready

Decide what kind of space you are making

Consider whether to publish from your personal profile or create a separate space for your content. Separating them may help you draw a line between what you share with friends and what you share with a wider community. Having two accounts is not a requirement for being a creator.

Choose a username that is easy to type. If it is taken, look for a clear variation rather than a string of numbers you would struggle to say aloud. Keep sensitive information, such as your full date of birth, out of the username.

Complete registration

1. Install Instagram

   Find the official app in your device's app store. Check the developer so you do not download a look-alike.

2. Start a new account

   Open the sign-up option and choose an available method. Use contact details you can verify and keep access to.

3. Enter details carefully

   Complete Instagram's requested information, including your real birth date. Choose a unique password and enter any verification code only in the official process.

4. Set up the profile

   Add a recognizable image, check your username and write a short bio. You can refine these through Edit profile.

Write a bio that gives people a reason to stay

Answer three questions: who are you, what do you cover and why might someone want the next piece? For example: “Learning phone photography. Sharing experiments, mistakes and tips I have actually tested.” This is a writing example, not a formula for gaining followers.

If you add a link, open it from the profile to make sure it reaches the right place. Choose a photo that works as a small circle. A simple image is often easier to identify than a poster full of text.

Check before your first post

Confirm whether the account is public or private and what information is visible. Read contact and synchronization options before accepting them. Make a deliberate choice about what to share; you do not need to enable every suggestion in the app.

Keep access to the connected email. If a code does not arrive, check the details and spam folder before repeatedly requesting another one. Nobody messaging you needs your password or a login code to help your account grow.

• Username, photo and bio checked.
• Privacy selected deliberately.
• Email or phone verified, with recovery prepared.
• One content idea you can produce this week.