How to retrieve your hacked Instagram account

Losing your Instagram account really stings, especially if you’ve been rocking it for years. When hackers hijack it, they can boot you out by messing with your login stuff. You’re locked out of your posts, followers, and all that good stuff until you go through the recovery process and prove you’re you. Violating Instagram’s rules is another quick way to kiss your account goodbye. No strikes or warnings, they just pull the plug.

It can be a real headache to get your account back, but it’s a gamble worth taking to reclaim your followers and cherished memories. The sooner you jump into action, the higher your odds, because Instagram or those pesky hackers might wipe your account clean. It’s speedier if you use your Android tablet or phone, although a PC offers a bigger screen. Here’s a step-by-step roadmap to reclaiming an Instagram account snatched by hackers or deactivated.

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Is it possible to get a hacked or deactivated Instagram account back?

You can reclaim your hijacked or deactivated Instagram account, but it all depends on when these things went down. If the hack just happened and the scoundrel hasn’t messed with your login stuff, hop on your account ASAP and change the info yourself. That way, you boot them off your profile on all gadgets. It’s smart to switch on two-factor authentication (2FA) later on for an added security boost.

If some sneaky hacker hops onto your account from a new device and place, Instagram shoots you an email heads-up. The message comes from security@mail.instagram.com, and it’s got a link you can click to lock down your account if it wasn’t you who logged in. It gets tougher to get your account back if the hacker goes ahead and tweaks your email, phone number, or password.

You’ll need to do a face check to recover your account. This works like a charm when your pics or vids are still on the hacked account. Instagram compares the selfie video you took with the stuff already there to confirm it’s really you.

If some sneaky somebody hacked your account, you might notice these things:

You’re suddenly logged out of your account: Normally, Instagram allows one account on five devices at the same time. If you find yourself logged out, a hacker might have changed your password, kicking you out.
You’re getting emails from Instagram: If you’re frequently getting notifications about changes to your account, someone might be trying to hack into it.
Weird stuff going on: You spot comments, posts, or messages you don’t remember making. Plus, you might find yourself following people you don’t recognize.

On the flip side, Instagram lets you know if it shuts down your account. You’ll get an error message when you try to log in, telling you that you broke the rules. Depending on how bad the rule break was, the deactivation might be for a while or forever. You’ll need to send in an appeal to get your account back up and running.

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