What is a Finsta and Why Would you Want One?

A fake Instagram, also known as a “Finsta,” is essentially a secondary secret Instagram account. Users create Finstas for all sorts of reasons but they’re often so that people can let loose and share more personal content without the eyes of their entire follower list—especially if they are reputable or highly branded content creators. It’s perfect for posting real-life, unedited moments or for exploring the app anonymously. 

Here’s how to set-up a Finsta to use Instagram under the radar:

1. Username

The first trick to staying anonymous with a Finsta is to choose a username that doesn’t provide any clues about who you are. Avoid the obvious: your name, birthday, hometown, or anything that can be traced back to the real you. Since this will be your “just for fun” account, have fun with it—set it to something totally random, like a fictional character. When it comes to a Finsta handle, the more obscure, the better!

2. Email

Create a second email to keep your Finsta truly separate from your personal accounts. A free service like Gmail is perfect for a secondary email that will be completely detached from your real life identity.

3. Phone Number

When setting up your Finsta account, avoid using your real, personal phone number. Instead, use a temporary or throwaway Hushed number. For just a few dollars, with a Hushed online number, you can verify your Finsta without any trace to your private information.

4. Privacy Settings

Ensure your Finsta is set to private so that no one can view your posts or stories without you vetting the first. Here’s how:

• On your Finsta profile, tap the three-line “hamburger” menu in the top-right corner
• Select Settings > Privacy
• Toggle on Private Account

5. Followers

Keep a tight hold on who you allow to follow your Finsta. Stick with close friends and only people you know and trust completely. If this will be your space to post freely, you don’t want to risk it being seen by anyone who might judge you or share your content without permission.

6. Links

Do not link your Finsta in any way to your regular account. Avoid tagging or mentioning it in your bio. When you’re scrolling, double check what account you are signed into so that you don’t accidentally like or comment on anyone’s posts from your Finsta thinking it’s in the voice of your main brand identity. To stay anonymous, be vigilant about keeping the two accounts completely disconnected.

7. Tags

To keep control over what appears and who gets to see it, carefully review anytime your Finsta is tagged in someone else’s post or story so that people inside your circle or from whom you want to remain anonymous cannot connect it back to you. Here’s how:

• Settings > Privacy > Tags
• Toggle on “Manually Approve Tags”

8. Third Party Apps

Regardless of what type of account you’re using, you should always carefully review the terms of any third-party apps before granting them access to your account. To ensure that no third-party apps that link to Instagram can expose your Finsta details, be extra mindful about which apps you allow to have access, and regularly double check which apps have permission settings that allow them access. Keeping a little extra aware of how you use your Finsta will help to make sure nothing slips through that could reveal your true identity.