If someone hacked your Instagram, first, we are very sorry! Of course, this is frustrating. However, we’ll take you through what steps to take if this happens to you.
1. Check If Anything Else Was Hacked
Sometimes your Instagram log-in information can be found in an email. Certainly, check if your email was hacked and therefore, check other social media and even your bank accounts!
If everything looks okay, make sure you change your passwords anyway. You definitely don’t want anything else getting hacked.
2. Change Your Instagram Password
If you are able to get into your email, you should be able to change your Instagram password even if someone hacked your Instagram.
When logging on to Instagram, click the “Forgotten Password?” button.
Enter your email address to reset the password.
If you’re still logged into your Instagram, you can change from your Instagram settings, too!
Tip: Choose a complicated password to limit the risk of getting hacked again. For example, use uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols and try making up a word. Lots of websites recommend using words that can’t be found in the dictionary.
If you use the same password across different platforms, make sure you change the passwords everywhere if someone hacked your Instagram.
3. Check Your Email
If you can’t access your Instagram account to change the password, check your email for an email from Instagram letting you know your email address for your Instagram account has been changed. In fact, if someone hacked your Instagram, you might be able to revert this change from an option in this email.
4. Report The Account
If none of these steps work to gain access to your Instagram account, report the account to Instagram.
On Android:
- On the login screen, click Get help signing in below Log In.
- Enter your username, email, or phone number, then click Next.
- Click Need more help? and follow the instructions.
- Enter a secure email address that only you can access. Once you’ve submitted your request, look for an email from Instagram with next steps.
On iOS (iPhone):
- On the login screen, click Forgot password?.
- Click Need more help? below Send Login Link, then follow the instructions.
- Enter a secure email address that only you can access. Once you’ve submitted your request, look for an email from Instagram with next steps.
Verify your identity
Once you submit your request, you should receive an auto-response email from the Security Team at Instagram asking you to help us verify your identity. Instagram will ask for one or both of the following:
- A photo of yourself holding a paper with a handwritten code we’ve provided you.
- The email address or phone number you signed up with and the type of device you used at the time of sign up (example: iPhone, Android, iPad, other).
Once you provide information to verify your identity, we’ll send you specific instructions to recover your account at the secure email address you provided.
5. Secure Your Email Account
Once you’ve got your Instagram back, take these next steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
If someone hacked your Instagram, there’s a high chance they started with hacking your email. Therefore, make sure you set a strong password for your email, too!
Of course, set a passcode on your smartphone, too. If you don’t, it’s easy enough for anyone and everyone to get into your phone and hack anything!
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6. Stop Using Third Party Apps
There’s a huge percentage of Instagram users that use third-party apps for different things:
- Scheduling posts
- Tracking followers and unfollowers
- Planning your Instagram feed
- Editing Instagram photos
- Making money on Instagram
- And more!
Be very careful when signing up for third-party apps. Unless Instagram designed and produced the app, there is a risk that these apps could hack into your Instagram. If someone hacked your Instagram, definitely delete the apps you’re currently using and rethink whether it’s worth it.
7. Log Out Of Instagram On Public Or Shared Devices
Maybe you log into Instagram when you get to your school’s library. If you forget to log out, this might be where someone hacked your Instagram!
Make sure you remember to log out of shared or public devices so other people can’t access your Instagram account.
8. Change Your Password Regularly
Instagram recommends changing your password regularly. In fact, sometimes Instagram will prompt you to do this. Of course, take their advice!
9. Turn On Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication is a security feature by Instagram. If someone hacked your Instagram, definitely set this up when you recover access to your account!
Instagram will ask you to enter a special login code any time someone attempts to login from a new or unrecognizable device.
You can choose to get an SMS message or from a third party authentication app such as Duo Mobile or Google Authenticator.
Hopefully, these steps prevent any further hacking into your account! For a safe friendly Instagram helper, check out Upleap. You can click here for a free trial where you will be assigned a dedicated account manager who will help and advise you to grow your account, target your audience and build your brand!
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