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Hey, Instagram, Stop Posting My Photos to Facebook

If your Instagram posts are inexplicably showing up on Facebook, here’s what’s happening and how to fix it.

Ever since Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion back in 2012, the two sites have been awkwardly dancing around integration. 

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Back in 2014, users were surprised to see their Instagram «likes» showing up as Facebook posts, and in 2020, Facebook Messenger took over direct messages on Instagram.

One of the latest attempts by Facebook and Instagram owner Meta at synergy between the sites is a prompt to encourage automatic cross-posting from Instagram to Facebook. Unfortunately, some users don’t know they’ve allowed the cross-posting and are surprised to see their Instagram photos showing up on their Facebook profiles.

Learn how and why you may’ve accidentally enabled photo sharing between Instagram and Facebook, and how to turn it off using the Instagram mobile app or the website. For more tech tips, learn how to access your Google files when you’re offline, and check out the best privacy settings for kids on TikTok.

Why are my Instagram photos posting to my Facebook profile?

a screenshot of a prompt from the Instagram mobile app asking to share stories and posts automatically to Facebook. The Share button is big and blue and the Not Now link is text only below ita screenshot of a prompt from the Instagram mobile app asking to share stories and posts automatically to Facebook. The Share button is big and blue and the Not Now link is text only below it
Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET

Last year, Instagram started  prompting users to share photos automatically to Facebook. The prompt features a big blue button to opt in and a smaller link without a button to opt out — an interface-design practice sometimes called a «dark pattern

Many Instagram users, taking the path of least resistance, click the blue button to close the prompt as quickly as possible, according to a report in The New York Times. After they do, some are later surprised to see their Instagram photos becoming Facebook posts.

Whether you accidentally opted in to Facebook sharing or did it on purpose, it’s easy to turn it off.

How do I stop my Instagram photos automatically cross-posting to Facebook?

If you’re using the Instagram app, you can customize the sharing settings for each photo individually when posting, but it’s easy to turn off automatic sharing to Facebook completely. I’ll show you how to do it on both the mobile apps for iOS and Android and in a web browser.

In either the iPhone or Android mobile app, go to your Instagram profile page, tap the hamburger, or three-line, icon in the top right corner, and then tap Settings at the top of the menu. From the Settings menu, tap Account, tap Sharing to other apps, and then tap Facebook.

screenshots of Instagram's settings menu showing how to select Account, Sharing with other apps, and Facebook settingsscreenshots of Instagram's settings menu showing how to select Account, Sharing with other apps, and Facebook settings
Screenshot composite by Peter Butler/CNET
a screenshot of the Instagram settings for sharing to Facebook, showing that sharing stories, posts and reels is enableda screenshot of the Instagram settings for sharing to Facebook, showing that sharing stories, posts and reels is enabled
Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET

After you’ve accessed the Facebook sharing settings, you’ll be able to customize automatic cross-posting for Instagram stories, posts and reels. Simply switch the blue sliders off if you don’t want to automatically share anything to Facebook.

To disable automatic photo sharing to Facebook using the Instagram website, you’re going to need to use a new Meta feature called the Accounts Center.

How do I turn off automatic sharing from Instagram to Facebook using the Accounts Center?

a screenshot of Instagram's Accounts Center settings for sharing to Facebooka screenshot of Instagram's Accounts Center settings for sharing to Facebook
Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET

You can turn off automatic sharing of Instagram posts with Facebook via the Meta Accounts Center feature on either site or app. The Accounts Center is the only way to turn off automatic sharing using a web browser, and new messaging on the mobile settings page indicates it’ll soon be the only way to do it on the apps too.

A link to the Accounts Center is available at the bottom of the Instagram settings page on both the mobile apps and the website. Once you’re in the Accounts Center, you can change your sharing settings by clicking Sharing across profiles.

Under Share from, select your Instagram account, and you’ll see Facebook listed if you’re automatically sharing content. Those familiar blue sliders will let you turn on and off automatic sharing of posts, stories and reels to Facebook.

You can also make these sharing changes using the Accounts Center on Facebook, which is designed identically.

The only difference between the Accounts Center on the Instagram website and the mobile apps is that the apps let you control automatic sharing for Instagram reels, while the website only contains settings for sharing stories and posts, not reels.

For more tech tips, check out how to use your iPhone to send secret messages and how to avoid ads when using Safari.

Technologies

Crank Up the Tunes With Over $200 Off the Top-Rated Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Earbuds

Woot is offering you the chance to put these Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 ANC buds in your ears for a massive 44% off, but the deal ends soon.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds with ANC in anthracite black are now just $280 on Woot. That’s an impressive 44% off the usual $499 sticker price. It’s also the lowest price we’ve seen so far, but this deal won’t last long. Quantities on Woot are limited, so grab yours while the deal is still live.

The design’s comfy enough for long hauls, and the 15-minute quick charge is clutch when you’re heading out the door. The charging case even doubles as a Bluetooth transceiver, so you can plug into in-flight entertainment systems without fuss. These buds are featured in our roundup of the best wireless earbuds of the year, and audio expert David Carnoy called them «easily among the best-sounding earbuds out there,» with better ANC and a more ergonomic fit than earlier models.

If you’re picky about sound, these are worth a look. They have a snug fit, single-button controls and a case that’s been redesigned to feel more premium. They’re splash- and dust-resistant (IP54 rating), and the updated shape fits better than the Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2. You can also tweak settings using the Bowers & Wilkins Music app for iOS and Android.

If this isn’t quite your vibe, check out our full roundup of the best headphone deals you can add to your cart now.

Why this deal matters

These earbuds don’t go on sale often, and when they do, it’s usually not this steep of a discount. The anthracite black Pi8s are sitting at their lowest price yet, and they’re backed by solid reviews and a spot on CNET’s best earbuds list. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to splurge, this is it. We last saw this deal during Black Friday, so there’s no telling when these buds will come back on sale after this deal expires.

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Technologies

Apple Reportedly Eyes ‘iPhone Ultra’ Name for Folding Phone Expected This Year

It’s another week and another bunch of rumors about the company’s first foldable phone.

It’s a new week and a new set of rumors for Apple’s first foldable phone. If Tuesday’s reports are true, the device will be called the Ultra, have a bookish shape and launch in September.

The main report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the foldable is on track for a September launch, despite Nikkei Asia reporting that the phone might not launch until 2027 due to issues that cropped up during the engineering test phase.

Citing unnamed sources, Gurman said Apple will introduce the foldable phone in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Those phones would likely go on sale about a week after being unveiled.

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s important to note that while rumors abound, Apple has confirmed none of them — not even the existence of a foldable iPhone.

Still, the earlier Nikkei Asia report was jarring enough to send Apple’s stock down 5.1% before it rebounded later, Gurman noted. The Nikkei Asia story said unexpected issues had arisen during engineering testing and that more time was needed to make «necessary adjustments.» Under a worst-case scenario, the first shipment of the foldables would not occur until 2027, the report said.

More from CNET: Foldable Phones Have Solved Nearly Every Trade-Off, Well Before Apple Debuts One

Looks like a book

Meanwhile, consumer tech reviewer Sonny Dickson posted images on X showing dummy models indicating how big the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max might be. In the image, the foldable has an almost square shape when fully opened.

Dummy images are useful for phone accessory manufacturers — such as case-makers — so they can get a head start on mass production before the devices are launched. When phones are released, consumers are quick to order cases and other accessories, so the sizes need to be known. It is unclear whether the dummy models shown are actual mockups from Apple.

People who commented on X didn’t seem to love the dummy images, particularly because the models shown appear to lack MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic system on the back of the phone that lets chargers and other accessories snap on.

Stefan Moser wrote, «If the Fold is missing MagSafe, this will be a big NO for me.»

There were other criticisms, too. 

An X user going by DasnkiCS posted that the phone looks «too wide, can’t palm that easily in normal phone use.» 

And another X user, Brosnan Hoban, wrote, «Fold looks like a credit card from 2050.»

What’s in a name?

Tuesday’s other big rumor concerned the foldable’s name. 

A leaker, Digital Chat Station, posted on the Chinese social site Weibo that the foldable iPhone could be called the iPhone Ultra. The post also said Chinese competitors may use the Ultra name for their own foldables to compete directly with Apple on design, specs, and price.

The predominant rumored name has been the iPhone Fold, but others have included Flip, Duo and iFold.

In March, Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter that Apple was considering a full line of Ultra products, possibly including a foldable phone, an M6 MacBook Pro with OLED, a foldable iPad and high-end Macs. Gurman also said Apple might introduce AirPods with «computer-vision cameras» to send visual data to Siri for its AI assistant feature.

We’ve seen a steady stream of tidbits about the foldable recently. There could be a large inner screen for multitasking, and people could open apps side by side. There might also be two rear cameras, a front-facing camera and a Touch ID side button.

Whatever Apple finally comes up with, it will be playing catch-up. Other major phone-makers already have foldable phones on the market, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, the OnePlus Open, the Huawei Mate XT, the Honor Magic V5 and the Motorola Razr Ultra.

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Technologies

Artemis II Astronauts Name Moon Crater After Commander Reid Wiseman’s Late Wife

The emotional moment was streamed by NASA moments after the crew made history.

On Monday, after the crew aboard Artemis II made a historic feat by breaking Apollo 13’s distance record, they made the moment even more special by proposing to name one of the craters on the moon «Carroll,» in memory of Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife. 

While contacting Mission Control, Mission Specialist and astronaut Jeremy Hansen stated that the «close-knit astronaut family» previously lost a loved one who was «the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie.» 

«It’s a bright spot on the moon,» Hansen said while describing the crater during the emotional call. «And we would like to call it Carroll.»

After the request, you can see Wiseman embrace Hansen before the rest of the crew joins in for a group hug. 

Carroll Wiseman died in 2020 at 46 years old from cancer. Wiseman’s NASA bio page states that Carroll «dedicated her life to helping others as a newborn intensive care unit Registered Nurse.» 

Before the Artemis II mission, Wiseman posted a selfie with his two daughters on X with a caption that reads in part, «I love these two ladies, and I’m boarding that rocket a very proud father.»

Follow CNET’s coverage of the 10-day Artemis II mission as the Orion makes its way back to Earth.

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