How To Disconnect Facebook From Instagram Effortlessly

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Apr 26, 2024

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Switching from Instagram to Facebook can be a hassle for brands active on both platforms every day. That’s why it’s a terrific idea for many users to link these social media accounts. But while it has many benefits—from easier direct messaging to cross-promoting content—linking accounts can also be quite constricting. If you want to handle your accounts separately, you’ll need to learn how to disconnect Facebook from Instagram.

Unlinking Facebook from Instagram allows you to be more flexible with what you post on each page. It lets you curate your content depending on what the audience on each platform wants. Do you want to operate these accounts as different entities? In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to do it.

A phone displaying a Facebook page next to a laptop on a desk.

Pros and Cons of Linking Your Facebook and Instagram Pages

In 2020, Meta (then still called “Facebook”) rolled out the Accounts Center. Here, you can streamline your Facebook and Instagram accounts and how you access them. By linking your accounts and adding them to the Accounts Center, you can cross-post content and integrate your online activities.


It provides all sorts of handy features that make social media management so much easier. Here are just some of the many pros of syncing your Meta pages:

  • You can easily switch between apps and different profiles that you’ve added to the Meta network.
  • You can publish the same feed posts and Stories on both Instagram and Facebook to maximize your reach.
  • You are notified of and can reply to direct messages from whichever account you’re using. That way, you can respond faster to customers and fans.
  • You can open an Instagram Shop, as only professional accounts with a linked Facebook page are allowed to do this. That means more opportunities to drive sales for your business.
  • You can simultaneously run ad campaigns on both Instagram and Facebook.

However, while syncing your Meta social media accounts poses plenty of benefits, some people might be more comfortable without the link. Some people would rather keep their accounts separate. Here are a just few reasons why some prefer not to have their accounts synced up:

  • You can curate your content on Facebook and Instagram to be more suited to the platform. For example, brands can post about big launches on Facebook and use Instagram for more visually pleasing lifestyle content.
  • You can keep track of who messaged you on which platform.
  • You can be more flexible with specific profile elements, like your display name and profile picture.

A phone screen displaying the Instagram and Facebook apps next to each other.

How To Disconnect Facebook From Instagram in a Few Simple Steps

Have you previously linked your Instagram and Facebook pages and realized you want to unsync them? Don’t worry; unlinking your accounts is as easy as pie. Here’s how to unlink your Meta accounts from the Instagram app in just a few simple steps on mobile devices:

1. Open the Instagram app and click your profile picture on the bottom-right corner to head to your page.

2. Click the hamburger menu (three lines) at the top-right corner.

3. At the top of the page, click Accounts Center.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Accounts. On this page, you can review the pages you have synced to your Meta Accounts Center.

5. Find the Facebook account you want to unsync from your Instagram page. Then, click the Remove button next to it.

6. Confirm your decision to unlink your accounts, and you’re done!

Someone crossing out the Facebook logo on their phone with a stylus pen.

You Can Also Disconnect Your Two Accounts From the Facebook App

Are you more comfortable navigating your Facebook app over your Instagram app? You can also easily disconnect your social media accounts from Facebook. Here’s how to do that step by step:

1. Open your Facebook app and click the hamburger menu on the bottom-right corner of the screen.

2. Click the drop-down menu with your Facebook display name.

3. Click Go to Accounts Center.

4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Accounts.

5. Just like on Instagram, select the accounts you want to unsync and hit Remove.

6. Confirm your decision to finalize the unsyncing. That’s it!

A phone with the Facebook login screen next to Scrabble tiles spelling out “Social Media”

How To Unsync Facebook and Instagram Profile Picture

Your profile picture on social media is one of the first things people notice when they visit your page. It’s an important online identifier and allows you to show off your business logo or a flattering portrait of yourself. Your photo also allows for fast visual recognition, helping people instantly identify who you are when scrolling through the internet.

Many brands and creators want their profile pictures to be the same on Facebook and Instagram. And it makes sense to want to do that. This tells people they’re talking to the same brand or influencer, boosting credibility for each page.

However, others prefer to display different profile pictures on their Facebook and Instagram pages. They may prefer displaying their logo on Facebook and regularly changing their Instagram photo to something seasonal or lifestyle-oriented.

Do you want to keep your accounts connected in the Accounts Center but display different photos? Here’s how to unsync Facebook and Instagram profile pictures:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and click the hamburger menu in your settings.

2. Click Accounts Center → Profiles.

3. Click on the linked account that you want different profile pictures for.

4. Choose between the Facebook or Instagram account and click on it.

5. Untick the toggle that says Sync profile info. Now, you can select different profile pictures for each account.

A man taking a black and white selfie on Instagram.

How To Unsync Feed and Story Posts Between Accounts

Being able to cross-post feed content and Stories is yet another fabulous benefit of syncing your accounts. That way, you can ensure that every time you post something on Instagram, your Facebook page can be populated, too. Because your content shows up on both accounts, you can reach more people than if you posted on one platform.

However, some users craft different content strategies for Facebook and Instagram. That means the content on each platform will differ depending on the audience’s expectations of each platform. Others also prefer to exclusively keep Stories on Instagram without publishing them on Facebook.

Don’t you want the same pieces of creative content populating your Facebook and Instagram pages? Here’s how to ensure your Instagram posts don’t automatically get published on Facebook:

1. On Instagram, go to your profile settings and head to the Accounts Center.

2. Click Sharing Across Profiles and select the account whose preferences you want to change.

3. Switch the toggle buttons off to automatically share posts on your Facebook Story and feed. That’s it—easy-peasy!

How To Deactivate Instagram Account Altogether

Don’t confuse wanting to unsync your social media accounts with needing to take a break from Instagram. Even if your Instagram page is linked to Facebook on the Accounts Center, you can still temporarily deactivate IG.

When you deactivate Instagram accounts, you put them on a temporary halt without permanently deleting your profile. This keeps people from accessing your page and sending you direct messages.

It also stops notifications from blowing up your phone, which is why many people choose to do it. After all, sometimes, social media can affect your mental health. Maybe you need a break from online peer pressure, giving you anxiety. Or perhaps you just need to be more productive at work and rid yourself of any distractions during the day.

Are you thinking of deactivating your Instagram page? Here’s how to do it:

  1. Go to your Instagram profile and click the hamburger menu.
  2. Click Accounts Center at the very top.
  3. Under “Account settings,” click Personal details.
  4. Click Account ownership and control.
  5. Select Deactivation or deletion.
  6. Choose the account you want to deactivate and click on it temporarily.
  7. Make sure the “Deactivation” bubble is ticked—not the “Delete account” button. Then, click Continue.
  8. Enter your password and hit Continue.
  9. Choose your reason for temporarily deactivating your account (or the reason that you can relate with most).
  10. Finally, finalize your account deactivation.

Focusing on Instagram Now? Grow Your Page Fast With Path Social!

Unlinking your Instagram and Facebook accounts is super easy. You can fully disconnect them or pick and choose elements of your profile to unsync, like profile pictures and posts. Bookmark this page so you have a quick step-by-step guide if you’re thinking of unlinking your social media accounts soon!

Now that you know how to disconnect Facebook from Instagram, you have the opportunity to focus on one platform. Are you putting all your time and effort into Instagram? Remember that the first step to success is gaining a solid following. That’s where we come in.

At Path Social, we prioritize promoting your content to people who will actually like it. We dig deep into your current content to find your niche target audience. Then, we push out your content to their feed. In no time, you’ll get tons of genuine followers that love what you put out. Start growing your Instagram community with us today!