Moving instances on Mastodon

Updated 31st May 2019

These instructions are based on using the Mastodon web version, and not an app.

1. First create a new account on the instance you want to move to.

2. Then, go to your old account, click on the three dots, choose preferences, Import and Export, which takes you to data export.

3. You should see, on the right side next to 'you follow', a little download symbol with CSV next to it. Download this, give it a name like 'you follow'.

4. Do the same with 'lists', 'you block', 'you mute' and 'domain blocks' (unless you haven't got any lists/blocks/mutes/domain blocks).

5. Go to the preferences of your new account, import and export, import, and import each of the CSV files. This will add all the people you followed (mutes, blocks, etc) from your old account to your new account. Note: at the time of writing this post, you cannot transfer your followers from one account to another.

6. Go to preferences in your old account, profile, appearance. Scroll to bottom to 'move to different account' and click on 'configure here'.

7. Insert your new username@domain of your new account and save. This will finish migrating your account.

8. Send a toot from the old account telling people you have moved and to follow your new account, listing the username and domain. Pin this toot so anyone who goes to follow you on the old account sees this and hopefully they will follow you there.

9. It's worth changing your bio on the old account to say you've moved with the new username@domain.

10. Do an #introduction toot in your new account so people on your new instance know who you are.

11. Use your new account!

12. It's worth doing 8. again a few days later, just in case some people missed it the first time.

13. You can also delete the old account if you want. Go to preferences, appearance, scroll to bottom and click on 'proceed here' under Delete account.

Once you've done all this, toot your friends from your new account to tell them you've moved. That way they will know for sure, plus they can then also boost your intro toot!

You could also follow your new account from the old account, then boost the intro toot there as well. It's another way of letting people who follow you to get your new account info.