My Instagram was hacked: step-by-step guide to recover

It can be a very stressful and disorienting experience if my Instagram was hacked. Especially if you rely on the platform for your personal or professional purposes.

Nevertheless, there are viable steps you can take to regain control of your account.

In this guide, we will cover every step to help you recover your compromised Instagram account.

What are Instagram account hacked signs?

If you are wondering to yourself how my Instagram was hacked, there are tell tale signs that you should look out for. Some indicators that someone hacks your Instagram.

• You can’t log in. Being unable to access your account, even though you’re using the correct password will be the most obvious sign. This could mean that the hacker changed the password or email address of your account.   

• Unfamiliar posts or activity. If you see posts, Reels or Stories on your profile that you don’t recognise, that’s a definite sign of unauthorized access.

• Strange messages. Your friends or your follower may have reported receiving strange messages from your account, be it spam or phishing links.   

• Account changes you didn’t make. You may see changes in your profile settings like a different profile picture, bio or linking accounts that you did not make.

• Suspicious Login Alerts. When you receive an Instagram alert after someone tries to log into your Instagram from an unusually located or device.

If you see any of the signs above then you must act immediately to secure your account and minimise the damage further.

Why your Instagram get hacked?

When you find out your Instagram has been hacked, the image of a hooded hacker might come to mind. The reality is rarely as glamorous as it sounds.  

Some common reasons why your Instagram account could get compromised.

• Weak passwords. Using easily guessable passwords (for example “123456” or “password”) means that your account is an easy prey for instagram hackers.   

• Phishing scams. The Instagram hackers employ phishing tactics. They send out fake emails or DMs that contain links to seemingly real login pages intended to steal your credentials.   

• Third-party apps. Giving access to your account to unauthorized third-party apps can undermine Your Instagram account.  

• Compromised email account. If the instagram hacker can hack your email account. You can used it to reset your Instagram password and give them access to your account.

• Public Wi-Fi. Using unsecured public wi fi networks can expose your data including login credentials to instagram hackers on the same network.

Being aware of these risks is important to ensure that your Instagram account is not accessed without your authorization.

Do Instagram accounts get hacked easily?

While hackers damage your Instagram accounts, it isn’t necessarily simple for a hacker to do so. Common vulnerabilities like weak passwords, phishing scams and lack of two factor authentication (2FA). Are exploited to gain access to accounts.

But Instagram has also setup some security measures such as rate limiting on password reset attempts and 2-factor authentication. To make unauthorized access more difficult.

Can your Instagram account be hacked forever?

Most users will be able to recover their accounts. But in some cases, hackers could compromise accounts can be for prolonged periods. If you ignore hacking signs or do not take action immediately. Hackers may change all recovery options or delete your account permanently.

Luckily, Instagram has a support team to help you recover your account in case of bad scenarios. Making it possible to still rescue your account.

Can you know who hacked your Instagram?

Most of the time it is not possible to trace who specifically hacked your Instagram account. Without professional forensic analysis or collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Many hackers use an anonymous way to conceal their IP addresses, such as using VPNs or proxy servers.

Monitoring account login activity notifications and checking for suspicious changes in your account settings, may give some clues on unauthorized access attempts.

However, finding out exactly who is responsible usually takes special tools beyond the capabilities of a normal user.

What to do if Instagram account was hacked?

If you have figured that my Instagram was hacked, it’s important to act fast to avoid further damage and get your account back. Here is a step by step on what to do.

• Try to log in. Attempt to log back into your account with your credentials if you logged out account. If the hacker changed the password use the “Forgot Password” option to reset.

• Secure your email. Look at the email associated with your Instagram account. If the hacker changed it, update it back to your original email and change your email password right away.

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If you haven’t already, you need to turn on 2FA right away to provide another layer of security.

• Notify followers. Let your followers know about the hack so they don’t interact with ‘suspicious’ content from your account.

This is going to help you regain control of your account quickly. And minimize any damage that unauthorized person gaining access to your account might cause.

How to contact Instagram for a hacked account

If my Instagram was hacked then contacting Instagram support team is important to recover your Instagram account. This is a step-by-step guide for how to contact them and how to recover Instagram account.

Use the Help Center

1. Navigate to the Instagram Help Center on the desktop or mobile browser.

• Type in, hacked account, and follow instructions.

Request support via login screen

• On the login screen tap ‘Get help logging in’.

• Enter your username, email address or phone number that are associated with your account.

• You’ll be prompted to follow recovery options such as sending a verification code.

Fill out support form

• If you still have access to some parts of your account, then go to Settings.

• Click on the tab, Help, and look for the Help Center under it.

• Search for, hacked accounts, options. And fill any forms on it with as much detailed information as you can provide about your situation.

There’s no public official Instagram security email address. You can report hacks using their online forms, which are structured for doing so.

How should you do if you can’t recover Instagram account?

There are a few alternative steps you can take if you can’t recover your Instagram account using the standard methods.

1. Submit further identity verification requests

If Instagram requests you for additional verification, provide your details with accurate and complete information. Instagram support could request the uploading of a government ID, or a recorded video selfie for verification.

2. Try different recovery methods

If one contact method doesn’t work, then try the “Forgot Password” option with other contact option (email or phone number). If possible, try to access it using accounts like Facebook that are linked to your account.

3. Contact Instagram support directly

Visit the Instagram Help Center and check for the sections dedicated to hacked accounts or login problems. If there are any forms that you can fill out, do so. Give as much information as possible on your circumstance that would help.

4. Use friends for verification (mobile app only)

If you frequently use Instagram to communicate with people, use the app’s feature that lets you verify your identity with friends. For this method, you will need two trusted friends who used to interact with you on the platform all the time.

5. Consider professional assistance

If your business account is hacked or disabled without a reason, you may need to contact a social media recovery agency. These agencies can offer unique help in solving the most difficult account problems in a timely manner.

How to secure your Instagram account?

In order to prevent future hacks, and preserve your online existence, you need to secure your Instagram account.

Following are a few tips that may assist you in securing your Instagram account.

• Enable two-factor authentication. This gives another layer of security as it requires a verification code that will be sent either via SMS. Or using an authentication app like Google Authenticator.

• Use strong and unique passwords. A strong password, should consist of letter, numbers and special characters. Do not use personally identifiable or generic passwords.

• Review logged-in devices. Check ‘where you are logged in’ in settings at all times to see if you notice any new devices logged in. Remove any unrecognized devices immediately.

• Turn on login alerts. You can turn on notifications for any new login attempts from unusual locations or unusual devices. This will allow you to catch unauthorized access early.

• Keep profile information private. Limit the personal details you provide on your bio and profile sections. If you wish, disable activity status as well for increased privacy.

Whether dealing with ‘my Instagram was hacked,’ these measures will significantly reduce the risk of any future hacks.

Bonus for parents: how to keep teen’s Instagram account safe?

Protecting your teens’ Instagram account is also an important thing to do.

Here is how you can prevent your teen’s Instagram from hacker.

• Talk about online safety. Have an honest talk with your teen about the risks there is on online platforms like hacking, phishing, cyberbullying, etc.

• Elicit the value of strong passwords. Spend more of your time emphasizing how important it is to have strong, unique passwords and the risks associated with sharing that with anybody.

• Discuss privacy settings. Teach your teen how to use Instagram’s privacy settings. So that no one except his or her followers can see what they are posting or their profile.

• Be mindful of what they post. Instruct them on how being careful with the photos and information they post online is important.

Parents should also consider parental control apps to help them monitor and control their teen’s online activity. One such powerful parental control app such as Instagram is FlashGet Kids.

Here are some of the features of FlashGet Kids that can help protect your teen on Instagram.

• Screen mirroring. This feature enables you to see what your teen is doing on their Instagram account at any given time.

• Screen time management. Puts definite limits to how much time your teen can spend on Instagram on a daily or weekly basis.

• App blocking. If you need to, you can block the Instagram app during different periods of time, for example, during school time or before sleeping.

• Daily usage report. FlashGet Kids also gives you comprehensive usage reports of your teen’s app usage, such as Instagram use.

You can assist your teen become safe and secure on Instagram, using a combination of security best practice and parental control tools.

Wrap up

It’s stressful discovering one’s Instagram account has been hacked. However, the sooner you act on it, the faster your account will be recovered and the less damage will be done. By following the step by step recovery guide, you are able to regain access and keep your account safe from future breaches.

The important thing to note here is to remember to use strong passwords and being careful and vigilant of hacking attempts. Monitoring your teen’s activity on the Instagram account is also just as important for parents. Consider FlashGet Kids to monitor their actions online and keep them safe.

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