L23. An Instagram profile for practice projects

Prepare a personal profile with a name, a short introduction and posts available to approved followers. Allow about 20–30 minutes. You need an Android phone, internet access, and your own accessible email address or phone number. On iPhone, install through the App Store; the main steps afterwards are similar.

In class

Using a practice example, the teacher shows the username, Bio and privacy switch. Together, distinguish information readers need from details used only to sign in.

What we are creating

A profile is your page containing your introduction and posts. A carousel contains several images in one post; a Reel is a video post. A personal account is enough for both; no advertising account or paid subscription is needed.

Instagram sets a minimum user age. Meta’s baseline is 13, with a higher age in some countries. These lessons address an adult reader. Enter your real birthday, because available features and protective settings depend on it. [P216]

Register and complete the profile

If you already have your own profile, sign in and go to step 4. You do not need another account. Use your own details in the name and description fields; Olena is the practice example.

• Find Instagram in Google Play and check the publisher: choose the official Instagram app. Select Install, then Open. [P215]
• Choose Create new account or Sign up. If Facebook login is offered, choose the phone or email registration route for this exercise. Use your own address, enter the received code, and complete the requested name, password, and birthday fields. Their order can vary.
• Choose a Username, such as olena.simple.projects. If it is taken, change it; do not imitate someone else’s profile. Read the terms shown and complete registration. You can skip suggestions to share your phone contacts with Instagram or follow people you know.
• Open Profile at the bottom, then Edit profile. Enter “Olena | Simple Projects” as the name. For Bio, use: “Books, walks, and an organised home. Small projects, step by step.” Save using the confirmation control or Done.
• Open the profile’s ☰ menu and find Account privacy. Enable Private account and confirm. In a version with a separate Settings → Privacy section, look for the switch there. Return to the setting and confirm its state. [P235]

[[VIS:s23_profile]]

The Bio is your public profile introduction. Leave out your sign-in email and home address.

Use AI to shorten your introduction

Try this in your familiar chat:

> [PROMPT] Shorten this Instagram introduction: “I enjoy reading books, going for walks, and making simple projects to organise my home.” Keep those three subjects. Give one natural version without advertising language or a home address.

An expected example is “Books, walks, and simple ideas for home”. Read it aloud and replace words you would not normally use.

On the computer, use Notepad to create Documents\AI-practice\content\profiles.txt. Record your username and “Instagram: private”, then save the file. Keep the password in your password manager. Before signing out, confirm that your sign-in method is saved and you can access the recovery email or phone.

> [FIX] If the verification email does not arrive, check the address spelling and Spam folder. Request another code after the on-screen timer finishes. Use the most recent code received.

Home practice

• In content\profile-bio.txt, or on paper, write two introductions: one for a book profile and one for a walking profile. Do not create another account.
• Keep the subject and what you intend to show. Remove addresses, phone numbers and daily schedules.
• Ask someone to read them, or read them again tomorrow. Under each, record the subject the reader understood. Both introductions should stand on their own.

Self-test

• Do you need a business profile for the first carousel?
• Olena makes the account private and puts her home address in the Bio. Does that switch protect the address from strangers?
• What should you check after changing the Bio?

Useful terms

• Profile: a user’s page.
• Bio: a short personal introduction.
• Private account: a profile where access to posts depends on approval as a follower.