Instagram hacked: everything you need to know!
One of the biggest social media platforms in the world, Instagram has millions of s posting images, videos, Instagram Direct Messages – to chat to their followers, friends, and family . Taking all of that into , it’s given many people will have their Instagram hacked.
Especially for business profiles, where people use Instagram Shopping, getting hacked can be a huge problem with dire consequences. For that reason, today we will talk about ways to avoid having your Instagram hacked, how to find out if it is compromised, and what to do in this situation. Let’s get to it!
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How to find out if your Instagram was hacked
Well, every time we talk about this sort of thing it’s common to start wondering “Was I hacked?”. After all, it might not be that obvious in your case, since a hacker can just be gathering data about your , such as comments, sent and received messages, and more, never taking any direct action.
However, there’s no need to fret: it’s likely you didn’t get hacked and, even if you did, it’s easy to find out. First, there are four telltale signs that your Instagram got hacked:
- There are new posts on your profile that you didn’t make;
- Your profile has followed new s without you doing it;
- You can’t access your , even though you’re sure your and are correct;
- You’ve received an email from Instagram talking about changes or other settings you didn’t do.
If any of these four scenarios are familiar, it’s quite likely you actually got hacked. However, in the first two of these things, it’s also a possibility you forgot your logged in on a public computer or on a friend’s smartphone, for instance.
As such, before jumping to any conclusions, check where your Instagram is logged in.
How to know where your profile is connected
Keep in mind that this guide is made using Instagram’s web version, which you can access on any of the best web browsers.
To find out in which devices your Instagram profile is logged in, it’s really easy, and it can really help to identify if your Instagram got hacked. These are the steps:
Step 1: First, to your and click the profile icon ;
Step 2: Next up, click Edit Profile. The two steps are shown in the image below;
Step 3: In this screen, go to the option Activity;
Step 4: Here, you can identify all your recent s and check which devices are logged into your Instagram , as well as their locations, in the area Where you’re logged in, also shown in the image.
Step 5: If you identify an unallowed access in the list Where you’re logged in, just click it and then on Log Out!
This way, it’s really easy to check if only you have accessed your , or if there are s in other cities and countries. If you see something like this, it’s a clear sign you had your Instagram hacked.
What to do if you got hacked?
If you actually got hacked, this doesn’t mean you’ve lost your permanently. Depending on whether you still have access to your or not, there are two ways to deal with the situation. In any case, you should act quickly.
If you have access
First of all, if you can to your as usual, but you’ve noticed an unallowed access, you can easily change your Instagram . To do so, follow this link to change directly, or this link to receive an email with a new .
After doing that, don’t forget to also enable two-factor authentication. This way, every time you need to , you’ll need to type your and confirm it with a code received via SMS.
If you don’t have access
If you just can’t to your and you can’t get access back, it’s necessary to follow some different steps. Here, you need to go to this webpage and follow the steps to report the to the platform.
This way, even if you had your Instagram hacked, the team will help you in dealing with the situation. However, it’s important we mention that this process might take a while since you need to confirm your identity by sending a picture holding a paper with the code Instagram will send you.
Even though, after you this validation, you should be able to get back into your and, now, to change the and enable the two-factor authentication, as we mentioned above.
How to ensure your Instagram won’t get hacked
Now, if you haven’t been hacked yet, know there are several ways to prevent it. The first of which is to enable two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security to your . However, that’s not all. Here are some extra tips!
- Create a complex , that’s not “123123”, or just your birth date, so that people who know you can’t guess it. A good tip is using management software;
- Make sure you also protect the for the email associated with your Instagram . After all, it is used to recover your ;
- Don’t let others know your , even if they’re trustworthy. That is because, even if they have no fault, hackers can get to know your via these people;
- Avoid clicking links sent via Instagram chat from people you don’t know, and never to non-official pages;
- Don’t save your on the web browser, and never on public computers, since they might have viruses or keyloggers;
- Don’t let less trusty or shady apps access your Instagram to avoid getting hacked. This can be done by following this link or going to Edit Profile and clicking Authorized apps.
Done, taking all of that into , it’ll be extremely hard for you to have your Instagram hacked!
Did you like our tips on how to protect yourself and not have your Instagram hacked?
Let us know in the comments if we helped you out in retrieving your or protecting it, and don’t forget to also check out what to do when get more Instagram followers!