How to edit Instagram bio

The Name field is the bold-text line at the top of your profile, separate from the username.

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Name → enter new name → Done.

Limits. 30 characters. Only 2 changes allowed in any 14-day window.

Strategic note. The Name field is searchable inside Instagram. Use it for the keyword someone might type to find an account like yours — “NYC Wedding Photographer”, “Vegan Recipes”, “Berlin Designer.” Don't duplicate the username here.

Why the 14-day rule matters. Frequent name changes look like impersonation attempts to Instagram's integrity team. The 14-day cap forces operators to pick durable names instead of cycling through tests.

The username is the URL slug — the @-prefix that identifies the account.

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Username → enter new handle → Done. The new username takes effect immediately.

Limits. 30 characters. Letters, numbers, periods, underscores. No two consecutive periods. Cannot start or end with a period. Must be unique across all of Instagram.

Old-handle reservation. When you change usernames, your old handle becomes available for others to claim after 14 days. Until then it's held in case you want to revert.

Strategic risk. Every link to your old profile (in past stories, third-party listings, Google search results) breaks when you change handles. Plan a username change carefully — for established accounts the SEO and authority loss can be significant.

Use the username checker to test availability before committing.

The 150-character paragraph below the name and username.

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Bio → enter or modify text → Done.

Limits. 150 characters. Unicode supported (emojis, stylized fonts). Line breaks supported (tap return on the keyboard).

Hashtag links. Hashtags in the bio (#yourhashtag) become clickable links to the hashtag feed. Useful for brand-specific hashtags (#yourbrand). Avoid generic ones — they leak attention away from your profile.

@mention links. Mentions of other accounts (@otheruser) become clickable links to that account. Useful for cross-promoting team members or sister accounts.

Strategic note. See bio framework for the three-line hook/credibility/CTA structure. Most bios under-perform because they decorate rather than convert.

Instagram added native multi-link support in 2023. Up to 5 links per profile.

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Links → tap “Add external link.” Enter URL and a custom title (the title is what appears on the profile, the URL is where it goes). Tap “Done.”

Reorder. Same Links page → tap and drag the link rows to reorder. The first link is the primary link — it shows on the profile by default; additional links appear when users tap the link button.

Linktree alternative. Native Instagram links opens inside the Instagram app, while Linktree-style services route users through an external link tree. Native links typically convert measurably better because they remove a step.

Operator consideration. The first link is the highest-converting position. Put the primary CTA there and use slots 2-5 for secondary destinations.

Pronouns are an optional field that displays next to the name (e.g., “Anyrxo (he/him)”).

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Pronouns → select up to 4 from the predefined list → Done.

Limits. 4 pronouns max. Only Instagram's predefined list is supported (he, him, she, her, they, them, etc.). Custom pronouns aren't allowed.

Visibility. Pronouns can be set to visible to followers only or to everyone, via the Visible to dropdown.

The circular image at the top-left of the profile.

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Edit picture or avatar → choose “New profile picture” → select source (camera, library, or remove current) → crop → Done.

Resolution. Instagram displays at 320×320 pixels but stores at higher resolution. Upload at 1080×1080 minimum for sharp rendering across surfaces.

Format. JPG and PNG accepted. PNG preserves transparency-to-circle masking better but Instagram applies a circular crop regardless.

Operator consideration. Profile pictures are visible to anyone who finds the profile — including blocked users on private accounts. Choose a profile picture that doesn't reveal personal information you want hidden.

Business and Creator accounts have a category field that displays under the name (e.g., “Photographer”, “Restaurant”).

Steps. Profile → Edit profile → Category → search the predefined Meta categories → select one → Done.

Visibility. Hide or show via the Display category checkbox. Hidden category is internal only — affects discovery and ad-targeting in Meta's system but not visible to visitors.

Strategic note. Category affects what categories Meta places your account in for Business Discover and ad targeting. A bad category match (e.g., “Restaurant” on a fitness account) reduces algorithmic distribution to relevant audiences.

Personal accounts don't have category and don't need to add it.