BEST INSTAGRAM GROWTH TOOLS
Instagram account hacked and email changed?
Don’t worry; you’re not the only one this has happened to.
There’s nothing worse than having a solid reputation on Instagram and a community that loves your content, only to go onto Instagram to check it and to realize that your password and email aren’t working.
What’s worse than this? They try to send you a ‘change my password’ link to your email, and you don’t get it because they changed our email.
Whether you’ve got a small or huge Instagram following, it’s going to feel pretty bad to get hacked and have your personal information stolen. Another thing that could happen is that the hacker could convince your followers that it’s you posting. This is the last thing you want, right?
Let’s not panic, here, let’s talk.
Let’s talk about what to do if your Instagram account has been hacked.
Instagram Isn’t Immune
It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security with profiles like Instagram, and believe that you’re totally safe. The truth is that it’s actually easier than you think to hack into someone’s Instagram. There have been many different cybersecurity breaches, from all over the world.
Some anonymous hackers hack into hundreds of people’s accounts and share their personal information all over the internet. Not good. However, there’s always hope. Let’s talk about it.
Instagram Account Hacked— But You Can Still Log In
So, your account has been hacked, but you can still log into it. You might have noticed that there is some strange content being uploaded to your profile, and you certainly didn’t post it.
Or, you might have seen that your username is leaving comments on other people’s content. If you can still log in, but you’ve got someone else on there too that’s doing stuff, then all you need to do is change your password. It’s that easy.
Go to the settings part of Instagram, and go into ‘privacy and security’ to change your password. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to go back to the settings page where you can see the ‘authorized apps’ option.
Take away access from third-party apps so that hackers can’t get to your profile from third-party apps out there. You can revoke access for anyone that you don’t immediately recognize, and you can set your permissions to only include those that you do recognize.
Instagram Account Hacked— But You Can’t Log In
If you’re not one of the lucky ones and your account has been hacked, AND you can’t get into it yourself, then you’re in a bit of trouble. The hacker has changed your password, which means that you are locked out of it completely.
Don’t worry; you can still access your account even at this point. All you’ve got to do is click on the ‘get help signing in’ option that will be on your login page, and go to the page where you can reset your password.
If you’re on iOS, you will see an option where you can have your password recovery link sent to your username or email address. Then you can click through to start the process of getting your password changed.
If you’re on Android, then you’ll need to click on the arrow icon on the top right, and you’ll need to confirm when you’ve included your username or email. Either way, though, it’s a pretty straightforward process.
Instagram Account Hacked— and Email Changed
So, someone has hacked your Instagram account, and they have changed your password and email, too. This means that you can’t simply reset your password by getting a new one sent to your email. This is because it will get sent straight to the hacker.
Just go to your email inbox, and see whether you’ve got an email from the person that has logged into your account and changed that password. You will have received an email from Instagram when the hacker asked to change the email address.
This message will let you know what actions you can take if you weren’t the one to do this. Just make sure that it didn’t end up in your junk folder.
You Don’t Have an Email Address for Instagram
For some reason, you didn’t use an email to sign up for Instagram.
Don’t worry – there’s a way to get around this, too. If you used your Facebook to sign up, you could use it to change your Instagram email and password.
With Android, go to ‘get help signing in’ on the login page, and choose the ‘login with Facebook’ option.
With iOS, click the Facebook icon where is says ‘continue as’ and enter your details for Facebook. Once you’re in, you can go to your settings and change your Instagram details.
If you’ve got your mobile number connected to it, you can get the details to change everything sent to that number. Choose the phone option on the login page where it says ‘get help signing in.’
When You Finally Get Your Account Back
So, what do you do when you finally get your Instagram account back to prevent it from happening again?
You choose a different password for all of your social media profiles. Hackers try the same password on multiple accounts, so mix it up for added security.
You’ll also want to make sure that you go ahead and remove anything in your feed that could be breaching Instagram’s T’s and C’s.
You’ll also want to let your community know that you have been hacked so that they can look out for any weird behavior in the future.
How to Prevent it From Happening Again
So, how do you prevent your Instagram from getting hacked again? Turn on two-factor authentication for Instagram. This means that they will ask you to enter a text message code that has been sent to your mobile number next time you log in.
This can prevent hackers from stealing your password and your details. They might be able to steal your password next time, but they won’t be able to steal your mobile phone.
In ‘settings,’ find where it says ‘authentication app,’ and make sure it’s on.
Final Thoughts
You’ve got to be extra vigilant out there to avoid being hacked.
Always make sure that you don’t check the ‘remember me’ box when you’re logging into Instagram so that it doesn’t stay logged in.
Always try to avoid using your personal details when on public WiFi.
Don’t ever give out your password or username to someone you don’t know or trust, and avoid clicking on links that have been sent to you by accounts you don’t know.
Lastly, make sure that you’re wary of the accounts that you follow on Instagram by using the ‘about this account’ feature.
It’s not easy to navigate the world of Instagram hacking, but these tips can certainly help make it a little bit safer for you to avoid having to search onlin for ”Instagram account hacked” in future. Good luck!
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Written by Jason Wise
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