diff --git a/.changelog/3102.txt b/.changelog/3102.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..56d214c3fab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/3102.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:enhancement
+* bigtable: added update support for `display_name` and `instance_type`
+```
diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_instance.go b/google/resource_bigtable_instance.go
index 63536e73470..0f76789b3e2 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_instance.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_instance.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ func resourceBigtableInstance() *schema.Resource {
 		},
 
 		CustomizeDiff: customdiff.All(
-			resourceBigtableInstanceValidateDevelopment,
 			resourceBigtableInstanceClusterReorderTypeList,
 		),
 
@@ -69,14 +68,12 @@ func resourceBigtableInstance() *schema.Resource {
 			"display_name": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Optional: true,
-				ForceNew: true,
 				Computed: true,
 			},
 
 			"instance_type": {
 				Type:         schema.TypeString,
 				Optional:     true,
-				ForceNew:     true,
 				Default:      "PRODUCTION",
 				ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice([]string{"DEVELOPMENT", "PRODUCTION"}, false),
 			},
@@ -167,14 +164,6 @@ func resourceBigtableInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 
 	d.Set("project", project)
 
-	var instanceType string
-	if instance.InstanceType == bigtable.DEVELOPMENT {
-		instanceType = "DEVELOPMENT"
-	} else {
-		instanceType = "PRODUCTION"
-	}
-	d.Set("instance_type", instanceType)
-
 	clusters, err := c.Clusters(ctx, instance.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error retrieving instance clusters. %s", err)
@@ -193,6 +182,8 @@ func resourceBigtableInstanceRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 
 	d.Set("name", instance.Name)
 	d.Set("display_name", instance.DisplayName)
+	// Don't set instance_type: we don't want to detect drift on it because it can
+	// change under-the-hood.
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -306,20 +297,6 @@ func expandBigtableClusters(clusters []interface{}, instanceID string) []bigtabl
 	return results
 }
 
-// resourceBigtableInstanceValidateDevelopment validates restrictions specific to DEVELOPMENT clusters
-func resourceBigtableInstanceValidateDevelopment(diff *schema.ResourceDiff, meta interface{}) error {
-	if diff.Get("instance_type").(string) != "DEVELOPMENT" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if diff.Get("cluster.#").(int) != 1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("config is invalid: instance with instance_type=\"DEVELOPMENT\" should have exactly one \"cluster\" block")
-	}
-	if diff.Get("cluster.0.num_nodes").(int) > 1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("config is invalid: num_nodes cannot be set for instance_type=\"DEVELOPMENT\"")
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // resourceBigtableInstanceClusterReorderTypeList causes the cluster block to
 // act like a TypeSet while it's a TypeList underneath. It preserves state
 // ordering on updates, and causes the resource to get recreated if it would
diff --git a/google/resource_bigtable_instance_test.go b/google/resource_bigtable_instance_test.go
index efef6cfbfd1..d7752999d48 100644
--- a/google/resource_bigtable_instance_test.go
+++ b/google/resource_bigtable_instance_test.go
@@ -29,17 +29,19 @@ func TestAccBigtableInstance_basic(t *testing.T) {
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance(instanceName, 3),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance(instanceName, 4),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 		},
 	})
@@ -63,33 +65,37 @@ func TestAccBigtableInstance_cluster(t *testing.T) {
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance_cluster(instanceName, 3),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance_clusterReordered(instanceName, 5),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance_clusterModified(instanceName, 5),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance_clusterReordered(instanceName, 5),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 		},
 	})
@@ -105,21 +111,14 @@ func TestAccBigtableInstance_development(t *testing.T) {
 		Providers:    testAccProviders,
 		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckBigtableInstanceDestroy,
 		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
-			{
-				Config:      testAccBigtableInstance_development_invalid_no_cluster(instanceName),
-				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile("config is invalid: instance with instance_type=\"DEVELOPMENT\" should have exactly one \"cluster\" block"),
-			},
-			{
-				Config:      testAccBigtableInstance_development_invalid_num_nodes(instanceName),
-				ExpectError: regexp.MustCompile("config is invalid: num_nodes cannot be set for instance_type=\"DEVELOPMENT\""),
-			},
 			{
 				Config: testAccBigtableInstance_development(instanceName),
 			},
 			{
-				ResourceName:      "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
-				ImportState:       true,
-				ImportStateVerify: true,
+				ResourceName:            "google_bigtable_instance.instance",
+				ImportState:             true,
+				ImportStateVerify:       true,
+				ImportStateVerifyIgnore: []string{"instance_type"}, // we don't read instance type back
 			},
 		},
 	})
@@ -311,26 +310,3 @@ resource "google_bigtable_instance" "instance" {
 }
 `, instanceName, instanceName)
 }
-
-func testAccBigtableInstance_development_invalid_num_nodes(instanceName string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-resource "google_bigtable_instance" "instance" {
-  name = "%s"
-  cluster {
-    cluster_id = "%s"
-    zone       = "us-central1-b"
-    num_nodes  = 3
-  }
-  instance_type = "DEVELOPMENT"
-}
-`, instanceName, instanceName)
-}
-
-func testAccBigtableInstance_development_invalid_no_cluster(instanceName string) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`
-resource "google_bigtable_instance" "instance" {
-  name          = "%s"
-  instance_type = "DEVELOPMENT"
-}
-`, instanceName)
-}