How to Recover Your Instagram Account When It's Hacked
Instagram is easily the world's most popular photo-sharing platform. It has grown at such a rapid pace that nobody could have predicted. As of July last year, it had over 1 billion monthly active users. With such a gigantic number of users, the risk of losing an account is now larger than ever, especially for those of you who run a business off Instagram.
But what if you're unfortunate enough that someone did hack your account? What then? Here's a list of things you can do to minimize the damage and recover your stolen Instagram account:
Table of Contents
Move as quickly as possible.
You need to do something if have even a hint of suspicion that your account has been compromised. Even if it turns out to have been nothing it's better to be safe than sorry, because if something is wrong and you fail to act, then you could lose your Instagram account forever.
Update your password.
One of the first things hackers do when they breach an account is to change the password. If that hasn't happened yet you can still save your account. Change your password as quickly as possible to lock out the hacker.
- To do so tap on the 3 lines at the top of the screen.
- Select "Settings" at the bottom of the menu.
- Select "Security" > "Password".
- Enter your current password and then your new password twice to confirm.
How to recover your Instagram account
If you couldn't change your password in time and you lost access to your account you'll have to use Instagram's account recovery feature. To do so tap the "Forgot password?" link below the "Log In" button on the login page. Afterward, you'll have to enter your email address, phone number, or username. You will receive a link to help you get back into your account again in the email you used to register your Instagram account.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
When the immediate danger has passed and you have full control over your Instagram account you should look into Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Enabling it can keep your account safe in the future. To activate 2FA navigate to the "Settings" >"Security". Select "Two-factor authentication" > "Get Started". You can choose between either text messages or a security app. Activating both will be the safest measure, but either one is good on its own.
Delete unusual and unknown apps from your Instagram account for maximum security
The last thing you need to do to secure your Instagram account is to remove any odd apps. If you see any apps that you don't remember installing it's best to remove them.
Go back to "Settings" > "Security". There you will find a list of apps and websites that you have given access to your Instagram account. Erase anything that seems suspicious.
