Instagram has recently added a field in the Profile screen that will allow you to show your preferred pronouns next to your username rather than having to put it in your bio. It’s easy to setup and makes sure that any visitors to your feed will immediately see how you choose to be identified.
The feature is only available in select English language regions for now, but should role out globally eventually. If you’re in one of the countries where it’s available, here’s how to add preferred pronouns to your Instagram profile.
How to add preferred pronouns to an Instagram profile
Setting up the new pronoun feature only takes a few seconds, as it’s now baked into the standard profile section you’d normally use to edit your name and bio. On your smartphone, launch the Instagram app, then tap on your Profile picture in the bottom right corner.
Under your name and bio you’ll see the Edit Profile button. Tap this and you’ll be taken to the edit screen where you should now see the new Pronouns section.
Tapping on the section opens up another page where you can enter the details. It’s not a standard text field (to prevent people adding in nonsense pronouns as a joke), so you’ll need to type the pronoun you want, for example ‘He’, then select that option from the results that pop up.
Instagram allows you to enter up to a maximum of four pronouns on your account.
Underneath you’ll also notice that you can choose between whether the pronouns are shown to all people searching for your account or just to your followers. If you prefer the latter, then ensure that the Show to Followers Only option is enabled. When you’re happy, tap Done to complete the setup.
Now, when you go back to the main profile page you should now see your pronouns of choice displayed to the right of your username.
Which pronouns are available?
Instagram worked on its pronoun list by consulting with organisations including GLAAD, The Trevor Project, and PFLAG. The company hasn’t published a list of every included pronoun, but Mashable tested the field out and found a list of 41 pronouns that are supported by the service at launch:
- co / cos
- e / ey / em / eir
- fae / faer
- he / him / his
- she / her / hers
- mer / mers
- ne / nir / nirs
- nee / ner / ners
- per / pers
- they / them / theirs
- thon / thons
- ve / ver / vis
- vi / vir
- xe / xem / xyr
- ze / zie / zir / hir
Fortunately you don’t have to select ‘matching’ pronouns from the above list, and can instead mix and match from any up to your limit of four.
This list may also change in the future as Instagram adds more options.
What if my pronouns aren’t included?
Speaking of – if your preferred pronouns are nowhere to be found in the above list, don’t give up hope. Instagram has created a form you can use to request new pronouns to be supported.
There are no details on how new pronouns will be selected, or how long the process might take, but at least there’s a chance that your preference will be added eventually.
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Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.