It's tricky to have your account back if it has been hacked. And though it's possible, it's better to take actions to prevent your Instagram account from being accessed by ramdom people, especially if this page is a brand account or your source of income.

But before we'll dive deeper into the ways of recovering and securing your page, let's take a look at signs of a hacked account and how it might be stolen.

How Your Instagram Can Be Hacked

Understanding how it can happen is essential, even if your Instagram account has not yet been compromised. Here are some of the most common attacks when Instagram accounts are hacked:

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks can occur when using unsecured Wi-Fi and can lead to the theft of your password or other information.

Bait and switch attacks mean you get a link that leads to an allegedly Instagram login page. In fact, it’s a scam site that only looks like Instagram. You enter your login credentials thinking it’s a proper Instagram login page and your data is stolen.

💡 Linking your Facebook and Instagram accounts, as they are both owned by Meta, can be convenient, but it also means that if your Facebook account is hacked, your Instagram account may be vulnerable as well.

How to Know Your Instagram Has Been Hacked

To safeguard your account, it's crucial to understand the potential signs of a hack. These are the signs that can tell you the authenticity of your account is at risk:

  • You can't log in to your account, but you're sure the credentials are correct.
  • There is content on your account that you haven't posted.
  • Strange activity, such as spam, appears on your feed.
  • Suspicious links are sent to your followers via your DMs.
  • You realise you're following profiles you haven't seen before.
  • There are changed details such as your email address and phone number.

If you suspect your account has been compromised, swift action is key. We’re sharing multiple ways to keep your account secure — as well as what to do if your Instagram account gets hacked.

How to Protect Your Instagram Account From Being Hacked

Follow these tips to keep your account secure:

  1. Use a strong lengthy password that includes letters, numbers, and special characters.
  2. Don’t share your password with anyone or don’t keep it in apps that can easily be hacked too.
  3. Enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
  4. Report the account hacking to Instagram.
  5. Check your login activity. When someone tries to log in to your account, Instagram sends you notifications per email. Sometimes this happens if you use a VPN. However, if you’re not using a VPN to access Instagram and never shared your credentials with anyone, change your password.
  6. Revoke access to any suspicious third-party apps.
  7. Make sure your phone number and email address in account settings are correct.
  8. Use Instagram account recovery if you cannot log in to your account.

How to Recover a Hacked Instagram Account

To restore your account, tap Get help signing in (Android) or Forgot password? (iOS) on the login screen and follow the instructions.

If you're still unable to recover your account, report the issue to Instagram. Once they contact you, you’ll be asked to verify your identity.

If you think your account might be hacked or accessed by someone else, take these steps as soon as possible:

  • Check your email that is bound to your Instagram account and see if there are messages from the platform.

If you've got an email that says your email address has been changed and contains the ‘revert this change’ option, click on this option within the message to secure your account.

  • Request a login link from Instagram.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. On the login screen, tap Forgot password (for iOS) or Get help logging in (for Android).

You’ll be taken to the Trouble Logging In? (iOS) or Login help (Android) page.

2. Then tap Send Login Link (iOS) or Next (Android) and follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Enter a secure email address that only you can access. Once you’ve submitted your request, be on the lookout for an email from Instagram with further instructions.

  • Request a security code from Instagram.

If none of the above steps help, you can manually report a hacked Instagram account:

  1. Tap the Help Us Recover Your Account screen. This time, instead of requesting the security code, select I can’t access this email or phone number.
  2. On the next page, fill in the form with your account details, select My account was hacked and click Request Support.

Once you submit your request, you should receive an auto-response email from the Security Team at Instagram asking you to help verify your identity. You’ll be asked for one or both of the following:

  • A photo of yourself holding a paper with a handwritten code Instagram has provided you with.
  • The email address or phone number you signed up with and the type of the device you used at the time of signing up.

Now it remains to follow the instructions and wait till Instagram gets back to you.