diff --git a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
index b33ce55eb695..a4b397048f71 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/industrialio-event.c
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ static const char * const iio_ev_type_text[] = {
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_ROC] = "roc",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_THRESH_ADAPTIVE] = "thresh_adaptive",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_MAG_ADAPTIVE] = "mag_adaptive",
-	[IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE] = "instance",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE] = "change",
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/staging/iio/Documentation/iio_event_monitor.c b/drivers/staging/iio/Documentation/iio_event_monitor.c
index 2e78d58b9b77..72c96aa6e992 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/iio/Documentation/iio_event_monitor.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/iio/Documentation/iio_event_monitor.c
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ static const char * const iio_ev_type_text[] = {
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_ROC] = "roc",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_THRESH_ADAPTIVE] = "thresh_adaptive",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_MAG_ADAPTIVE] = "mag_adaptive",
-	[IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE] = "instance",
 	[IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE] = "change",
 };
 
@@ -179,7 +178,6 @@ static bool event_is_known(struct iio_event_data *event)
 	case IIO_EV_TYPE_ROC:
 	case IIO_EV_TYPE_THRESH_ADAPTIVE:
 	case IIO_EV_TYPE_MAG_ADAPTIVE:
-	case IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE:
 	case IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE:
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy.c b/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy.c
index 0b8611ac1003..e4520213f627 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static const struct iio_event_spec iio_dummy_event = {
  * simple step detect event - triggered when a step is detected
  */
 static const struct iio_event_spec step_detect_event = {
-	.type = IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE,
+	.type = IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE,
 	.dir = IIO_EV_DIR_NONE,
 	.mask_separate = BIT(IIO_EV_INFO_ENABLE),
 };
diff --git a/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy_events.c b/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy_events.c
index ac15a44ba271..a5cd3bb219fe 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy_events.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/iio/iio_simple_dummy_events.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ int iio_simple_dummy_write_event_config(struct iio_dev *indio_dev,
 		}
 	case IIO_STEPS:
 		switch (type) {
-		case IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE:
+		case IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE:
 			st->event_en = state;
 			break;
 		default:
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ static irqreturn_t iio_simple_dummy_event_handler(int irq, void *private)
 		iio_push_event(indio_dev,
 			       IIO_EVENT_CODE(IIO_STEPS, 0, IIO_NO_MOD,
 					      IIO_EV_DIR_NONE,
-					      IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE, 0, 0, 0),
+					      IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE, 0, 0, 0),
 			       iio_get_time_ns());
 		break;
 	default:
diff --git a/include/linux/iio/types.h b/include/linux/iio/types.h
index 3ba3d6678412..580ed5bdb3fa 100644
--- a/include/linux/iio/types.h
+++ b/include/linux/iio/types.h
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ enum iio_event_type {
 	IIO_EV_TYPE_ROC,
 	IIO_EV_TYPE_THRESH_ADAPTIVE,
 	IIO_EV_TYPE_MAG_ADAPTIVE,
-	IIO_EV_TYPE_INSTANCE,
 	IIO_EV_TYPE_CHANGE,
 };