Can anyone else but the insured change the beneficiary on a life insurance policy?

Only the POLICY OWNER can change the beneficiary on a life insurance policy. In most cases, the insured is also the policy owner, but it's not a general rule.

The policy owner can be another person who is paying the premium (for example, a parent or guardian, spouse or other family member), or a bank, or a business. If the policy owner is not the same person as the insured, then the insured has no control over who the beneficiary is on the policy.