Instagram Hacked? Here’s How to Recover Your Account

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Instagram is crucial for designers, serving as a marketing and networking tool that’s key to landing new clients. So what should you do if you’ve had your Instagram hacked? First, don’t panic—you’re not alone. “I’d say it’s common for the average user to get hacked to some degree in their life,” says Matthew Krull, a social media strategist at design-focused communications agency Novità. “I hear more often than not from my friends and colleagues that they’ve experienced some suspicious activity on their account.” But if you’ve had your Instagram account hacked, it’s important to act fast. The quicker you move to recover your Instagram profile, the more likely you’ll be successful. Here are the steps for how to get your Instagram account back, as well as measures you can take to bolster your cybersecurity.

How do I know if my Instagram account has been hacked?

There are some clear signs you may be dealing with a hacked Instagram account. Most hackers immediately change your account’s personal data as a means of kicking you out and preventing you from regaining access to your Instagram. Any time your email, phone number, or password has been changed, Instagram will send you an email alert; that email will come from security@mail.instagram.com. If you didn’t change anything yourself, that’s a sign that a hacker may have gained access to your account. Instagram will also alert you to “suspicious login attempts,” which might be a sign a hacker is attempting to access your account.

Another sign that your Instagram account has been hacked is seeing unusual activity on your feed. Sometimes that’s images, Reels, or Stories appearing on your Instagram profile that you didn’t post yourself, and sometimes that’s your followers receiving direct messages from your profile that you didn’t send. (On that note, if you notice some off-kilter activity on a friend’s page, tell them! You may catch it before they do.)

Can I get my Instagram account back after it’s been hacked?

The short answer: It depends.

If you’ve had your Instagram hacked, it is possible to get it back, but you need to move fast so that the hacker can’t compromise your account further. If you act quickly, you might be able to kick out the hacker while they’re in your account—and, more crucially, before they’ve changed your personal data, deleted your photos, or posted to your profile. That way you can save yourself the trouble of having to recover your Instagram account through a Meta support request.

But if the hacker has already gone beyond logging in and has changed your account details like your password, email, and phone number, profile recovery becomes a lot more difficult. Depending on how much damage they’ve done, Instagram may be able to help you recover your account. But brace yourself: If your account has been deleted by a hacker, there might be nothing the Instagram support team can do to recover your account.

How do you regain access to a hacked Instagram account?

The answer depends on whether or not the hacker has changed only your Instagram password, or your Instagram password and contact info. Here’s how you can attempt to recover your Instagram account as soon as possible.

My password doesn’t work—what do I do?

Hitting a brick wall at the login screen? Don’t panic yet. If you’ve found that your password no longer works, simply follow the steps for setting a new one, as prompted by the login page on the Instagram app. Hopefully, the login link will be sent to your email account or phone number, and you can use a security code to log back in to your account and change your password. This would be the best case scenario, as you can solve the problem yourself without having to contact Instagram customer service. (That said, it’s not a bad idea to contact them anyway and let them know that your Instagram account has been hacked—the company may point out some helpful security tips to keep your account safe in the future.)

I didn’t get a password reset email to change my login credentials. Now what?

This is where things get tricky. If you’re locked out of your social media account and you don’t receive a password reset link when you request one via the “forgot password” button, a hacker might have changed your email and phone number. Most hackers do this immediately so they can keep control of your account for themselves. They may even hold your Instagram account for ransom and request bitcoin or other plunder for you to get it back. If that’s the case, you’ll need to report the activity to Instagram by following the step-by-step instructions here. They will ask you to verify your identity in various ways, such as taking a video selfie to prove you are who you say you are. This process likely won’t give you immediate access; it could take days or even weeks to recover your Instagram account.

There is a new way to get fast, direct access to support—but you have to be willing to pay for it. Meta has rolled out Meta Verified, a subscription plan that provides both Instagram and Facebook accounts with premium features. Yes, that includes the infamous social media blue check, but it also includes specialized support, identity theft monitoring among them. Right now, Meta Verified is only available for individual accounts, not business accounts, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Meta expands the program in the future. Right now, Meta Verified costs between $11.99 and $14.99 per month, depending on the plan you choose—both include specialized support.

What should you do if you suspect someone is trying to hack your Instagram?

There are a few red flags that may indicate that someone may be trying to hack your Instagram account (or already has). Three key ones: receiving a changed-password email from Instagram that you didn’t trigger yourself, receiving an unprompted email-change request from security@mail.instagram.com, and seeing posts you didn’t make. Here’s how to get help.

What to do if Instagram noticed suspicious activity on your account

If someone attempts to reset your password, Instagram will send you an email informing you of the change. “I take immediate action as soon as I get a notification or email from Instagram letting me know there was suspicious activity on any of the accounts I manage,” Matthew Krull says.