Instagram is one of the most popular social networks at the moment and taking care of a profile on the site only to see it hacked can be very frustrating. An attacker can take advantage of your account to post things that aren't yours and also send fake messages to your friends. If ...
If this has happened to you, don't despair - you're not alone! There's a simple way to recover your Instagram account without having to pay anyone to sort it out for you. Want to know how? We'll explain it to you!
How to recover a hacked Instagram account?
A hacker's motivations for breaking into your account can be very diverse. They may be interested in accessing other private accounts of yours, trying to sell your username, steal your personal data or many other things that wouldn't be nice to happen. However, there is a way to prevent them from achieving their goals, whatever they may be, if you follow the tips listed below.
How to recover your Instagram password from your phone
If you can no longer access your account and need to recover your Instagram password, but the hacker has changed the email address linked to your profile, you can recover your Instagram account directly from your mobile screen. To do this, launch the app, click on "forgot your password?" and fill in your username.
The "need more help?" button will appear on the screen and you need to click on it to proceed. The application will ask you about your data, but as the hacker has unlinked it from your account, you will have to click on "get support". The social network will ask you to answer why you no longer have access to your account and your answer should be "My account has been hacked".
Next, you'll be asked if there are any photos of you in your account and you'll have to select yes or no. If the answer is yes, the app will ask you to provide an email address to continue the attempt to recover your Instagram account, as well as a facial scan consisting of a sequence of video selfies with your face in various positions.
If your reply about having a photo of yourself on your account is negative, you will automatically be redirected to a help page which will aim to assist you in your attempt to recover your Instagram account. The support team will send you an email with an automatic text so that they can proceed with your case.
How to recover your Instagram password by email
However, there are situations in which the attacker will not have changed your registration email and you can recover your Instagram account in a much simpler way. To do this, you need to click on "forgot your password?" on the application's home screen. The screen will ask you for the e-mail address you used when you registered and once you've entered it, click on "Next".
Once you've done this, a code will be sent to your e-mail address and prompted on your mobile screen. Check your inbox, memorize the code and enter it in the field requested in the Instagram app. Once confirmed, access will be granted and you will then be able to reset your password and recover your Instagram account.
If by chance you still have access to your Instagram account and realize that someone else is using it besides you, change your password immediately! This will certainly save you a lot of headaches in the future.
Bonus: Security tips to protect your account
If someone has gained access to your Instagram, they know the password you created to log into your account and maybe it wasn't that secure. Creating strong passwords, with random words, numbers and symbols is a good tip for maintaining the security of your social network. An excellent way to have passwords that guarantee security is to use password generators available online like lastpass, for example.
Using two-step verification will also prevent strangers from logging into your account and will alert you if any attempt is made, so it's a good idea to activate it! In general, it's also always a good idea to review the last devices that logged into your account recently to see if there are any strangers among them and whether you should be worried or not. If you find one you don't recognize, it's a good idea to change your password.
But what about that? Have we been able to help you with this information about the Instagram? Let us know in the comments! Take the opportunity to check out our article on videos edited with AI and also check out the tips in the video below, so that when someone asks you "my account has been hacked, what should I do? You'll be able to tell them for sure!
Frequently asked questions about recovering your Instagram account:
How long can it take to reactivate my account?
If you have access to the login information (e-mail and telephone) it can take 5 minutes.
Can I be hacked on Instagram with two-step verification?
Yes, but it's much more difficult and makes it harder for the hacker to get through.
