Have you ever considered living a “second life” online? Or at least running a second account? It’s practically a built-in feature on some platforms, while on others, it’s a fast track to getting banned. There are different ways to manage multiple accounts depending on the platform.
This article is a real mix:
We’ll break down when using multiple accounts is common practice, when it is risky, and when proxy servers become an indispensable tool.
You can create multiple profiles under a single Instagram account. In fact, Instagram’s interface makes it pretty easy to set up and manage them.
You can add up to five accounts at once and switch between them seamlessly. It’s a built-in feature: in profile settings, you’ll find the option to add another account, and then you can toggle between them right from the profile menu without re-entering your password each time.
The main rule: don’t break other policies while doing this — for example, don’t impersonate someone else or mass-register bot accounts.
Each account has its login (email/phone) and password, but once you add them to the app, they all stay linked for easy access. That means you could be logged into your personal page, pet’s account, and small business profile all at once — and see them all inside the app.
Each profile has its own feed, followers, and settings, and switching between them is literally two taps (press and hold your profile picture, then tap the account you want).
While Instagram doesn’t forbid multiple accounts, it fights spam and fake profiles. If too many accounts are run from the same device or IP address with sketchy activity, they can be flagged as suspicious.
For example, SMM agencies or power users trying to manage dozens of profiles often encounter CAPTCHAs, temporary action blocks, or even full-on bans. Instagram also monitors simultaneous logins and user behavior: if you switch between accounts and perform the same bulk actions (like following/unfollowing too much or mass-liking) across all of them, Instagram may detect it as automation.
If you (or your team) run many profiles — say, more than 5–10 — or rely on automation tools, proxies quickly become essential. They let you spread accounts across different IP addresses and reduce the risk of getting flagged. The golden rule here is simple: one account = one IP, as if each profile were being managed from a separate device and location.
Mobile proxies are the top choice for Instagram. Since the platform is primarily mobile-first, logging in through IPs assigned to cell carriers (3G/4G/5G) best mimics real user behavior. Mobile IPs are also dynamic and constantly shared among thousands of people, so a suspicious request blends into the crowd, lowering the chance of bans.
Residential proxies are another solid option. These use IPs from regular home ISPs, making your traffic look like it’s coming from a typical household connection in a specific city or region.
That said, if you’re just juggling a few accounts manually (up to five), proxies aren’t really necessary. Instagram fully supports this use case, and you can manage those accounts safely without masking your connection.
Facebook has always been strict about multi-accounting. Under the old rules, one person could only have a single personal account, registered under their real name. But in 2023, the platform loosened its grip.
Now, Facebook lets you create up to four additional profiles — meaning you can manage a total of five personal profiles under one account: your main profile plus four extras.
For example, you might keep your main profile under your real name for family and friends, while creating an extra profile with a nickname for hobby groups or niche communities. Each profile has its own feed, friends or followers, and content. Switching between them takes just a couple of clicks — no logging out required.
If you’re using Facebook’s official additional profiles, your main account doesn’t publicly reveal that they exist. To other users, those profiles look completely separate.
Of course, Facebook itself knows they all belong to you, and if you break the rules, the consequences will apply to your entire account.
There are still limits. Additional profiles can use nicknames or role-based names, but you can’t impersonate another real person or mislead others about your identity.
Behind the scenes, Facebook employs a mix of signals — comparing personal details and friend networks, as well as tracking cookies, IP addresses, and even browser fingerprints — to ensure account integrity. In the past, the platform would outright ban users for multi-accounting, and even now, running a completely separate “second account” (rather than an official additional profile) is still a violation of the User Agreement.
Proxies are only really useful for people managing separate accounts on behalf of others — for example, SMM specialists running client pages who prefer to isolate them across different browsers, devices, and IPs. In those cases, proxies are often combined with anti-detect browsers to make each account look like it’s coming from a unique environment.
Residential proxies are usually the safest bet — Facebook tends to trust traffic coming from ordinary home IPs more than from datacenters. Mobile proxies also work well, especially if you’re managing accounts through the mobile app or need to mimic smartphone users. Mobile IPs change frequently and are shared among thousands of people, which makes it much harder to link activity back to a single person.
That said, proxies aren’t a silver bullet. Facebook looks at far more than just your IP — everything from cookies and device fingerprints to behavior patterns is factored in. So for the average user, proxies are unnecessary, and for advanced multi-account setups, they’re just one piece of a bigger toolkit.
PayPal puts a strict cap on how many accounts one person can have. Opening multiple personal accounts isn’t allowed. But — there’s a catch:
You’re permitted to have one personal account and one business account. A few rules come with that setup:
If you think you've been blocked from accessing your PayPal account, you may need to continue by logging in again or, in some cases, use your developer token to regain access.
A business account comes with extra perks: you can display your company name, give access to up to 200 employees with limited permissions, take advantage of seller tools, and generate detailed sales reports.
A personal account, meanwhile, is meant for everyday use — shopping online, sending money to family and friends, or paying for services. Compared to a business profile, it has more limited functionality (for instance, not all types of transactions and reporting features are available).
PayPal closely enforces its “one user – one personal account” rule.
Attempts to create multiple personal accounts (or duplicate business accounts under the same individual) can trigger serious consequences: limited account functionality, frozen funds, or even a permanent ban.
And it’s not hard for PayPal to detect. Duplicate personal information, shared bank cards, identical IP addresses, and even browser fingerprints can all serve as red flags that link accounts together and prove a violation of the rules.
For the standard setup — one personal and one business account per person — proxies aren’t necessary. You’re staying within PayPal’s rules, and there’s no reason for the platform to block you under normal usage.
In professional e-commerce, though, there are cases where people manage multiple business accounts for different companies. To keep those accounts from being linked, some rely on IP and device isolation — and that’s where proxies can come into play.
That said, we don’t recommend using proxies for gray-area schemes or to get around PayPal’s policies. The safest approach is to stay compliant.
If you are managing accounts for separate companies, mobile or residential proxies are the better choice, since they provide IPs tied to regular ISPs or mobile networks. But remember: PayPal also tracks browser and device fingerprints, so proxies alone aren’t enough — ideally, you’d pair them with separate devices.
Still, the best strategy is simple: don’t push your luck. Stick to PayPal’s rules and you won’t need proxies at all.
TikTok is relatively tolerant of multiple accounts, but there are important caveats. Officially, TikTok doesn’t impose a hard limit on how many accounts one person can have.
Before adding multiple TikTok accounts, make sure you have the latest version of the TikTok app downloaded. This ensures you can access all account management features.
Important: TikTok requires a unique phone number or email for each account — you can’t register two profiles with the same email or phone. If you try to log in with a number already tied to another account, the app will kick you back into that original account.
People create second accounts for lots of legit reasons: different content types, targeting an international audience, or keeping a “draft”/backup profile. TikTok cares less about how many accounts you have and more about how you use them.
One person can run a personal account and a separate project account with no problem — but if you create dozens of profiles and start liking, following, and promoting them all at once, the platform will take notice.
The TikTok app lets you add multiple accounts and switch between them (similar to Instagram). But in practice, running more than three profiles on the same device can start to draw the system’s attention.
On desktop, things work a bit differently: you can manage multiple accounts through the web version, especially if you use separate browsers or browser profiles. But logging into several accounts in the same browser without clearing data is a bad idea — TikTok reads cache, cookies, and browser fingerprints, which can link those accounts together.
In short, managing 2-3 accounts on a single device is generally safe if you switch carefully. If you need more, it’s best to spread them across different devices or use specialized tools.
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So what happens if you push it too far? You risk a shadowban or even a full suspension.
If you’re running two profiles, don’t post the exact same video on both, don’t copy-paste identical captions, and don’t recycle the same hashtags word for word. The algorithm can spot duplicate content and assume you’re running a spam network. Variety is key to staying safe.
Also, rapid-fire switching between accounts on one device dozens of times a day looks suspicious. If you’re juggling multiple accounts, split them up — manage some on your phone and others on your computer.
If you want to create multiple accounts to research content, there is an easier way — TikTok scraping.
Proxies make sense when each account needs its own IP address, essentially spreading them across different locations.
For TikTok, mobile proxies are the most convincing choice. Since most users connect through 4G/5G, traffic from mobile networks looks natural and far less suspicious. On top of that, mobile proxies are usually dynamic — your account can rotate to a new IP every few minutes within a carrier’s range, which mimics a real person moving around.
If you’re streaming live on multiple accounts from a desktop, SOCKS5 proxies are the way to go. They handle both TCP and UDP traffic, giving you a more stable connection and reducing lag.
Another thing to note: if one of your accounts runs through an IP from a different country, TikTok will adapt the feed to that region. You’ll see more local videos, hashtags, and trending sounds. And if you want a full “immersion” into another country’s TikTok, change your device language and even your viewing habits to match that region.
Officially, Snapchat doesn’t forbid having a second account — but it doesn’t exactly encourage it either.
If you run two accounts, the app only lets you stay logged into one at a time; to access the other, you’ll need to log out and sign back in. You will only receive notifications for the account you are currently logged into, which means you might miss messages or snaps sent to your other account.
Snapchat will allow you to register a new account as long as you use a different email address (and, if required, a different phone number for verification).
There are also business tools, like Snapchat Business Manager for ads, but that’s more of a corporate feature than a separate “personal” account.
Snapchat’s core rule is simple: don’t create fake identities, don’t use someone else’s personal details, and follow the community guidelines.
That said, the app collects unique data from your phone — things like model, OS, hardware specs, and IP address. Since Snapchat actively fights against bots and fake accounts, seeing multiple identities tied to the same device can trigger reviews or even bans.
And on a practical note, juggling two accounts isn’t exactly smooth. Unless you’re running two phones, there’s really no convenient workaround.
If you’re managing multiple Snapchat accounts, the golden rule is that each one should connect through a unique IP. That separation helps prevent the platform from linking them together.
Mobile proxies are especially effective here, since Snapchat can track both location and connection type — and mobile network traffic looks the most “natural” to the app.
And of course, quality matters. Always go with a reliable proxy provider so you don’t end up with a “dirty” IP address that’s already been flagged for abuse.
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In short:
If you’re an SMM juggling a dozen profiles: use mobile or residential proxies, one IP per account. For web access, HTTPS proxies will do; for apps and livestreams, SOCKS5 is the better choice.
And remember: proxies won’t protect you from breaking the rules — push it too far, and you’re still risking bans.