Instagram Tests Main Account Feature to Rival Facebook Login
Instagram is developing a "Main Account" feature that lets users link multiple profiles under a single login, potentially positioning the app as Facebook Login's successor.
Teenagers continue to abandon Facebook, which threatens the company's identity provider dominance and its lucrative feed ad revenue. As younger users flock to Instagram instead, Facebook risks losing the powerful wedge that keeps people tethered to its broader ecosystem. Meanwhile, loyal Instagram users struggle to manage multiple sets of login credentials for their personal, Finsta, and business profiles.
To solve this friction, Instagram prototypes a "Main Account" feature that allows users to designate one profile as a primary hub. Logging into this main account instantly grants access to all other linked profiles while keeping the accounts completely separate. This consolidated approach means users only need to remember a single username and password combination to navigate their entire Instagram presence.
This streamlined login process not only encourages more frequent posting and engagement but also lays the groundwork for Instagram to rival Facebook Login. By leveraging this account linking, Instagram could expand its third-party login platform so users easily bring their profile information to other apps. A researcher discovers this "Account Linking" code in the Android alpha version, though Instagram declines to comment on the unreleased prototype.