You can add line breaks in your Instagram bio and split it into several lines. Press Return while you type the bio in Edit profile, and if the lines run together after you save, write the bio in your phone’s notes app and paste it in, or edit it on instagram.com in a computer browser. Single line breaks usually stay. Empty lines between paragraphs tend to disappear unless something sits on them, such as a dot, an emoji or a blank Braille character.
Add a line break in the Instagram app
- Go to your profile and tap Edit profile.
- Tap Bio and type the first line.
- Press Return to start a new line. On iPhone, tap 123 if the keyboard doesn’t show Return. On Android, press Enter (taap.bio).
- Save and check how the bio looks on your profile.
Guides don’t agree on whether Return works in every version of the app. If your lines merged, try the Notes method instead.
If the lines merge: write the bio in Notes
- Open Notes on iPhone, or any notes app on Android.
- Write the bio with each line on its own row. Don’t leave a space at the end of a line.
- Copy the whole text.
- In Instagram, go to Edit profile, Bio, paste it and save.
Later and Metricool both recommend this method.
Keep an empty line between paragraphs
Instagram trims spaces at the end of lines and collapses empty lines (Hopper HQ). Typing a few spaces on the empty line doesn’t help. To keep a visible gap, put a character on it:
- a period or a middle dot (·)
- an emoji
- the Braille blank character (U+2800), which looks empty but counts as a character (Compart)
Edit the bio on a computer
- Open instagram.com and log in.
- Go to your profile and choose Edit profile.
- Type in the Bio field and press Enter for each new line.
- Submit, then check the bio in the app too.
Metricool calls this the most reliable method, while taap.bio calls desktop results less predictable, so check the finished bio on your phone.
Mind the 150-character limit
A bio can be up to 150 characters long (Instagram Help). Metricool notes that spaces and line breaks count toward it, and so does any character you put on an empty line, so keep each line short.
Links don’t go in the bio text. Add them in the Links section of Edit profile, up to 5 (Instagram Help). Your profile shows the first one and a note with the number of other links.
If you’re changing your bio and want to see what it said before, read our guide on how to see old Instagram bios. Choosing a new name as well? See whether you can get a taken Instagram username.
FAQ
Why does Instagram remove my line breaks?
Instagram trims spaces at the end of lines and removes empty lines. Write the bio in Notes without spaces at the end of lines, and put a character on any line you want to keep empty.
Do line breaks count toward the 150 characters?
According to Metricool, yes. Spaces and line breaks count, as do dots or blank characters you use for spacing.
Does the same trick work for captions?
Yes. The Notes method and a character on each empty line work in captions too.
How many links can I add to my bio?
Up to 5, added in the Links section of Edit profile.