Instagram Account Hacked? How to Get It Back

Instagram accounts are hacked in a handful of familiar ways: a fake “copyright violation” or “verification badge” message, a login code a “friend” asked you to forward, or a password reused from a site that was breached. Whatever the cause, the recovery routes are the same.

Step 1: Look for the email Instagram sent you

When the email on your account is changed, Instagram sends a message to the previous address. It normally includes an option to revert the change and secure the account. If you can find it, use it first: it is the quickest route back.

Check spam and promotions folders, and make sure the message came from an Instagram or Meta address before you click anything.

Step 2: Start the official recovery flow

From the Instagram app, tap Forgot password? (or Get help logging in on some versions) on the login screen, enter your username, email or phone number, and follow the prompts. If you can no longer reach the email or phone on the account, look for the option that says you can’t access them.

You can also start from instagram.com/hacked in a browser and choose the situation that matches yours.

Step 3: Verify that you are the owner

If Instagram cannot send you a code, it may ask for one of the following:

• A video selfie. Offered for accounts with photos of the owner. You turn your head in different directions so Instagram can compare your face with the photos on the account. It is checked by Instagram and, according to Instagram, deleted after the review.
• Information about the account, such as the email you signed up with or the type of device you used.

Answer consistently. Using the same device and network you normally use helps.

Step 4: Avoid the second scam

People who post about being hacked are quickly contacted by “recovery specialists” who promise to get the account back for a fee. They cannot. Instagram has no back door for third parties. Never pay, and never hand over login codes.

Step 5: Secure the account the moment you are back

1. Set a new, unique password.
2. Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app.
3. In Accounts Center → Password and security, log out of every session and device you don’t recognise.
4. Remove any email or phone number you don’t own.
5. Check Apps and websites and remove anything you didn’t connect.
6. Review recent posts, stories and DMs sent in your name, and let followers know if needed.

The full checklist goes through each one.

When the automated route keeps failing

If the video selfie was rejected, the account has no photos of you, or it is a business or creator account that earns money, you need a well-organised case: proof of ownership, the timeline, and the exact screens you have seen. Our Account Recovery service builds that case with you and follows the official channels step by step, without ever asking for your password.