As an avid Instagram user, you’ve likely spent years cultivating your profile and building your following. But in an instant, a hacker could take it all away. Instagram account hacking is on the rise, and recovering a hacked account is no easy feat.
However, by following the steps in this comprehensive guide, you’ll be back in control of your account in no time.
Stay calm and take action quickly – the faster you act, the more likely you are to recover your account intact.
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You’ll need to report the hack to Instagram, check for compromised information, update account access, and enable two-factor authentication to prevent future hacks.
Your Account Has Been Hacked Follow These Steps
With some patience and persistence, you can outsmart the hackers and reclaim your Instagram account. The road to recovery starts here.
Know That Your Account Has Been Hacked
If you notice suspicious activity on your Instagram account like unfamiliar posts, messages, or followers, your account may have been compromised.
Here are the steps you should take immediately:
The sooner you act, the better. Check your account right away for any unauthorized changes to your profile, posts, or account settings. Look for signs like:
- Unfamiliar images, links, or messages posted from your account
- Your account name, handle, profile photo, or bio changed without your permission
- New followers you don’t recognize or an influx of new followers in a short period of time
- Emails from Instagram about account changes you didn’t make
If you see any of these indicators, your Instagram account has likely been hacked. Take action quickly to minimize damage and regain control of your account.
Change Your Password Immediately
The first thing you should do is change your Instagram password immediately. Choose a new strong, unique password that you don’t use for any other websites or accounts.
Enabling two-factor authentication on your account adds an extra layer of security to your login.
Check Your Account Settings and Posts
Review your account settings, profile information, posts, stories, and highlights to determine what else the hacker may have accessed or changed. Delete any unauthorized posts or messages.
Be on alert for phishing links the hacker may have shared with your followers.
Stay Vigilant to Prevent Future Hacks
Unfortunately, once hacked, accounts can be targeted again. Be on high alert for follow-up phishing emails or messages. Never click links or download attachments from unverified or suspicious sources.
Use strong, unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and be cautious of requests for personal information or account access.
Remaining vigilant can help prevent your Instagram from being hacked again in the future.
Act Fast to Limit Damage
Once you discover your Instagram account has been hacked, it’s critical to act quickly to limit the damage. Here are the steps you should take immediately:
- Change your Instagram password immediately. Use a strong, unique password that contains a minimum of 8 characters, including uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Instagram account. This adds an extra layer of security for logging in. You will receive a text message with a code to enter in addition to your password.
- Check your Instagram profile and settings. See if there are any changes to your profile photo, bio, linked accounts, or contact information. Revert any unauthorized changes. Also, check your account settings to ensure no new devices have been added and deactivate them.
- Warn your followers. Post a message on your story and feed warning others that your account was compromised, but you have regained access and changed your password. Apologize for any spam messages they may have received. This establishes that you are back in control of your account.
- Be on alert for further hacking attempts. Closely monitor your Instagram account over the next few weeks in case the hackers try to access it again. Continue using a strong, unique password and two-factor authentication to prevent another attack.
By taking quick action, you can successfully recover your hacked Instagram account and prevent further damage. Staying vigilant about security best practices will help keep your account safe in the future.
If you continue to face issues regaining access or have other concerns, you may need to contact Instagram support directly.
Report the Hacker to Instagram
Once you’ve regained access to your hacked Instagram account, the next step is to report the hacker to Instagram. This helps Instagram take action against malicious actors and improves security for all users.
Contact Instagram Support
The best way to report an Instagram hacker is to contact Instagram Support directly. You can reach them in a few ways:
- In the Instagram app, go to Settings > Help > Report a Problem. Select “My account was hacked” and provide details about the hack in the text box.
- On Instagram.com, click “Help” at the bottom of any page. Select “Report a Problem” and then “My account was hacked.” Enter details about the hack.
- You can also report hackers by emailing support@instagram.com. In your email, state that your Instagram account was hacked. Provide your username, details about what happened, and any information you have about the hacker.
Provide Details About the Hack
When reporting the hack to Instagram, provide as much detail as possible to aid in their investigation:
- Your Instagram username and any email addresses associated with the account
- Approximate date and time of the hack
- How you regained access to your account (reset the password, recovered the account, etc.)
- Any messages, posts, or other activity from the hacker during the time they had access
- Screenshots of suspicious login alerts or messages from the hacker
- Location of the hacker if available (IP address, city/country information)
- How your account security was compromised (phishing link, weak password, etc.), and what steps you’ve taken to strengthen security
By reporting hacking incidents, you make Instagram safer for all users.
Staying vigilant about account security and two-factor authentication can also help reduce your chances of getting hacked again in the future.
Check Your Email for a Message From Instagram
Once you’ve reported your hacked Instagram account, checked for suspicious login activity, and enabled two-factor authentication, there are a few more steps you should take to recover your account.
Check Your Email for a Message From Instagram
Instagram will send an email to the address associated with your account notifying you that a login from an unrecognized device has occurred. This is an automated message to alert you of unauthorized access. Check your inbox, spam, and trash folders for this email from Instagram.
The message will contain details about the login, including:
- The date and time the login occurred
- The location of the login based on the IP address
- The device and operating system used to access your account
Review this information to determine if you recognize the details of this login. If not, your account has likely been compromised. Respond to Instagram’s email right away and let them know your account has been hacked.
Provide any details about the unauthorized login from the email for their records.
Review Your Account Activity and Posts
Once you’ve regained access to your Instagram account, thoroughly review all recent activity for anything suspicious. Check your posts, comments likes, follows, and unfollows to see if there are any that you did not perform yourself. Delete anything that was posted without your consent.
- Review your archived stories, highlights, and IGTV videos as well. Hackers may have uploaded content here too.
- Check if your profile photo, bio, website link, or other account details have been changed. Update anything that needs to be reverted back.
- See if any messages were sent to your followers or if your account followed or unfollowed a large number of other users quickly. These actions can sometimes indicate automated bot behavior.
Regaining access to your hacked Instagram account is only the first step. Carefully monitoring your account activity and settings for a while after will help ensure your account security and prevent future hacks.
Be on high alert for a few weeks following the incident in case the hackers strike again.
If you notice additional suspicious behavior, report it to Instagram right away.
Conclusion
As you can see, recovering a hacked Instagram account is a multi-step process that requires patience and persistence. By following the steps outlined here to secure your account, enable two-factor authentication, report the hacking to Instagram, and work to restore your account access and content, you can get back control of your Instagram profile.
While it can be a frustrating experience, try to remain calm and systematic in your approach.
With time and effort, you will overcome this challenge and have a secure Instagram account once again under your management.
Stay vigilant, enable all security options, and be cautious of phishing attempts to avoid another hacking incident in the future. You’ve got this!
