How to delete an instagram account that has been hacked

Instagram Hacked? Here’s How to Recover Your Account

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 recover it as quickly as possible. Here are the steps for how to get your Instagram account back, as well as measures you can take to bolster your cybersecurity.

Can you get your Instagram back if 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 before they’ve changed your info, 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 potentially changing your password, Instagram account 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 I get my Instagram account back?

There are two different levels of hacking: One that only changes your password, and another that changes your password and contact info. Here’s how to report a hacked Instagram account, and how to recover your Instagram account as soon as possible.

What to do if a hacker has changed your Instagram password

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. (That said, it’s not a bad idea to contact Instagram customer service 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.)

You’ve had your Instagram hacked, and the hacker changed your password and contact information. Now what?

Hitting a brick wall at the login screen? Yikes. 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 may have changed your email and phone number. This is a more common type of hacking, as scammers know you will try to reset your password yourself, and they will want to keep control of the 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 instructions here. They will ask you to verify your identity—you might even have to take 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.

Can you recover your Instagram account if it has been deleted?

In some cases, hackers might delete all your posts, or they might delete your account entirely. If they’ve deleted some but not all of your account, you might be able to retrieve posts by going into the Your Activity section of your Instagram account and selecting Recently deleted. There, you’ll find posts from the last 30 days as well as stories from the last 24 hours. You can then restore those images or videos.

But if your account has been totally deleted, you might be out of luck. Instagram itself says, “When you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will be permanently removed.” You can create a new account with the same email address you used before, but you may not be able to get the same username.

That said, there is a window in which you can recover your Instagram account. “If someone has deleted your account, you technically have 30 days to contact Instagram to explain that you have been hacked and [ask them] to put your account back up. Instagram claims it stores your data for that long,” says digital marketer Jonathan Simon, director of marketing and communications at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. “However, this is a long shot. Once your account is deleted, it is likely gone.”

Interior designer Kristen McGinnis, for instance, was not one of the lucky ones. Back in 2020, she found that she was logged out of her Instagram account due to suspicious activity—even though her two-factor authentication was enabled. “Instagram’s account retrieval process includes going through identity confirmation. I submitted this well over a dozen times within a month and received zero response,” McGinnis says. “Sadly, I never received any help, only headache and heartache.”

After a month, McGinnis gave up. She started a new Instagram account and used her inaugural post to explain what had happened to her former handle. She then started the arduous process of re-following her former connections, hoping they’d follow her back. Although many of them did, she needed to message others to reintroduce herself. The small silver lining was that her photos were auto-saved to her phone. Still, the mishap had a cost. “I lost a few thousand followers, many of whom I will never get back because I don’t know who to reach out to,” McGinnis says.

Even though no method of account protection is completely fail-safe, staying on top of security best practices can hopefully prevent you from having to rebuild your following. You can also download your data periodically in order to keep a record of your posts, your followers, and even your comments—that way, if you have your Instagram hacked and eventually need to rebuild your account, you have a head start.

What should you do if you’re locked out of your Instagram account?

For starters, remain calm. Sometimes getting locked out—especially for business accounts—is simply due to an oversight. “For instance, let’s say a social media manager moves on from the company,” says New York– and London-based digital content consultant Charlene C. Lam. “If a transition plan isn’t in place, it may be a while before the remaining team members realize they don’t know the Instagram password.”

To mitigate that risk, keep your Instagram account recovery codes stored in a secure place. These recovery codes will be used to reset two-factor authentication, which will help you get your Instagram account back. They can be found on the Security page of the Instagram app.

Unfortunately, there may be an instance where you’ve been locked out because you were genuinely been hacked by a scammer.

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 big ones: receiving a changed-password email from Instagram that you didn’t trigger yourself, receiving an unprompted email-change request from [email protected], 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.

If you receive an email that someone has requested to change your password, and it wasn’t you, someone may be trying to hack your Instagram account. Report the situation to Instagram via the link in that email, then immediately change your password.

If you received an email from [email protected] asking about changing the email address associated with your Instagram account, but didn’t make that request yourself, click the link in the message that says Secure My Account. If you are unable to get through the login page, the scammer may have changed your password. Don’t lose hope yet—you can still get help by requesting a login link or a security code.

But remain attentive when it comes to these Instagram emails: Some messages that appear to be from Instagram could be phishing attempts or scams from hackers. The good news is that Meta has developed a function to help protect you. If you enter the security section of the Instagram app, you can see what emails Instagram has sent you within the last two weeks. Reviewing that data should help you verify an email’s authenticity.

Keep in mind that other messages, like Instagram DMs and WhatsApp chats, can also contain phishing scams. Stay alert!

What to do if you noticed suspicious activity on your account

If you notice photos or stories you didn’t post yourself appearing on your page, but you’re still logged in, you’ve probably been hacked on Instagram. You should change your password immediately, as doing so will kick the hacker out of your account. You should also manually log out of any suspicious devices via your login activity page, as well as revoke access from any third-party apps that might have had a security breach and exposed your login information.

How to protect your Instagram account

Hacking isn’t limited to high-profile Instagrammers. “Any account can be a target, because if the hackers are successful, they can use the hacked account to try to get important information like credit card numbers, addresses, and PINs from other unsuspecting users,” Jonathan Simon says.

A strong password is an obvious place to start—and yes, those strings of letters and numbers suggested by Apple’s iOS are pretty safe. (If you’re concerned about remembering all of your logins, a digital password manager can help.) Still, there are a few additional steps you should take to thwart a potential hacking.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication requires users to enter a security code from an authentication app or your cell phone via text message (SMS) every time they log in to a new device—and it’s a solid deterrent to scammers. Meta offers this service, and you can set it up via the security page in the app.

Check your login activity

Keep an eye on your login activity, which can also be found under the security section of the app. There, you’ll see all the devices that your Instagram account is currently logged into, plus their geographic locations. If you see suspicious activity here, you can log out of those devices from your current one.

Check which third-party apps have access to your Instagram account

Granting third-party apps access to your account is an easy way to share content across different platforms, but it does come with some level of risk: Hackers can break into those apps and steal your Instagram login info. Head to your security settings, then click Apps and Websites to see what other apps have access to your Instagram account. Keep an eye out for any big data breaches that might affect those apps—if one happens, you’ll want to change your password immediately.

Enable auto-save

Though this measure won’t necessarily protect your account from hackers, it does give you a chance to save all your photos to your phone in the event you have your Instagram hacked and deleted. In the app, click on Settings, then Account, then Original Photos (iPhone) or Original Posts (Android), and make sure that Save is toggled on.

How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account (2022)

There comes a time when you might want to disconnect from your social platforms, and not just temporarily. More often than ever, people are choosing to delete their social media presence to live a life less focused on online culture. Whether you’re trying to protect your future job aspects by deleting your social media or just reaching for your phone a little bit less, deleting your social media accounts may lead to a healthier life.

Permanently deleting your Instagram account may seem like a significant step, but it’s easy to carry out if you’re ready to be free of your profile and get some spare time back in your life. Let’s look at how to delete your Instagram account permanently.

Save Your Instagram Data before Deleting Your Account

Before you act out of frustration or want to make a move to delete your Instagram account permanently, it is a good idea to back up your Instagram data. You can’t add it back later, and you may have valuable photos, interactions, and friends. When you delete your account, Instagram will do just that, delete your account and everything in it, including your photos, likes, comments, and friends. To save your account data, follow these steps:

Open “Instagram” and tap the “Profile Icon” in the lower right corner.
Tap the “Hamburger Icon” (Menu) in the top right corner, then tap “Settings” at the bottom.
Enter your email address and tap “Request Download.“

Within 48 hours, Instagram will email a complete file of your profile to the email address you provided. The email contains your photos, comments, profile information, and everything else you may need to access in the future. Even if you think you’ll never need this data again, it’s an essential step to ensuring that your information is protected if you ever want to view it. If you don’t do this, you’ll lose your data completely, and you’ll never get it back, no matter how hard you try.

How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account

After you’ve saved your Instagram data, you can move on to deleting your Instagram account. There are two options for users. The first is to permanently delete your Instagram account and everything associated with it, while the second is a temporary option.

Permanently deleting your Instagram account can only happen using a browser, but you can do that on both mobile and desktop browsers. Before your profile disappears forever, Instagram makes your account temporarily invisible for 30 days. Therefore, you can reinstate it if you change your mind. Here’s how to permanently delete your Instagram account:

Go to the unique Delete Your Instagram Account page on your browser (ensure that you’re logged in).
Select a reason for deletion from the drop-down menu.
Click or tap the “Delete” button to confirm your decision.

How To Temporarily Disable Your Instagram Account

If you are only looking for a break from Instagram or don’t want to make an irrational decision, disable your Instagram account rather than delete it. Disabling logs you out and hides your profile. As far as your followers are concerned, you may as well have deleted the account. However, this method allows you to reinstate your profile at any time when temporarily disabled by simply logging back in. Follow these steps to disable your account:

Go to Instagram.com from your browser on any device (you cannot do this from the app).
Log in if prompted to do so.
Click or tap on the “profile icon” in the upper right-hand corner.
Click or tap “Profile,” then select “Edit Profile.”
Scroll down and tap “Temporarily disable my account” to the right of the “Submit” button.
You get asked why you are doing this. Select an option from the drop-down menu.
Re-enter your account password.
Click or tap “Temporarily Disable Account. ”

Delete or Disable Instagram without Username or Password

If you have been hacked and want to protect your personal information, you might find the above deletion/disable steps easy, but not if you don’t remember your login credentials. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete or disable an account without first logging in, nor can Instagram do it for you. If you cannot remember or find your password, or if it got changed by someone else, follow the below steps to access your account.

Access Instagram without Username/Password on Mobile

Launch the “Instagram” app.
Tap “Get help logging in” under the “Login” button.
The “Find your account” screen appears. Type in your “username, email, or phone,” then tap “Next.” You can also select “Log in with Facebook.”
On the new screen, choose “Send an email, Send an SMS, or Log in with Facebook. ”
Enter the confirmation code sent to you and tap “Next.”

If all went well with the above steps, you should now be on your Instagram account.

How To Recover or Delete Your Account if You Were Hacked

If you think you got hacked, you might not be able to use one or all of these methods, depending on how thorough the hacker has been at changing your recovery information.

Open the app.
Tap “Get help logging in.” under the login fields.
Select the option that allows you to enter your username.
Tap “Need more help?”

From here, you can follow the prompts to contact Instagram. They will likely ask you for information regarding the account, such as previously used passwords, recovery information, etc.

How to Get Your Account Back After Deletion

So, officially there’s no option to get your account back after permanently deleting it. Still, several users swear by a workaround method, as explained below.

To sum it up, you need to report your account as hacked to Instagram, just as we’ve done above. Here’s how to do it.

First, type in your username or email address and click on Instagram’s “Get help signing in” option.
From here, select “Trouble logging in.”
Follow the prompts, including selecting the type of account you’d like to recover, then choose “My account was hacked” to proceed.
Then select “hear more about your experience.”
Fill out the forms, and Instagram will send you an email within a few hours. You will eventually need to provide some verification, such as images that you’ve uploaded to that account, your username, email address, and verification code, for this to work.

Instagram Account Delete/Disable FAQs

How long does Instagram keep my data after I delete my account?

Instagram states that it can take up to 90 days to completely delete your account, meaning Instagram may still have pieces of information about your account stored on its servers. However, Instagram’s Data Policy also states that the company may keep information about your account beyond 90 days. The information the company may retain is for legal purposes or related to a violation of the company’s Terms of Use.

Can I delete my child’s account?

Unfortunately, you cannot delete your child’s Instagram account, at least not without the user’s login information. Instagram’s policy on account deletion states that only the account owner can delete the profile using the instructions above.

How long until Instagram deletes your account?

If you go through the deletion process outlined above, your Instagram account gets deleted after 30 days following the request, and your IG account becomes invisible so nobody can see it. However, all data stored in backups can take up to 90 days to delete.

If you’re wondering how long it takes Instagram to delete inactive accounts or accounts reported for spam or bots, the answer is less known. Instagram periodically deletes completely inactive accounts and bot accounts through their system. However, no one except for Instagram is entirely sure how often this happens or the parameters for deletion.

Wrapping Up

By resetting and deleting your Instagram account for good, you can finally give yourself some personal time to escape and leave behind the ever-present slog of online culture. Of course, temporarily deactivating your account is a good option if you’re looking to get away for a while, but otherwise, delete away to protect your identity and personality—and your sanity. Do you have any experience or questions regarding deleting an Instagram account? Please share with us in the comment section below.

What to do if your Instagram account could be hacked?

Take action on the website or app to secure your Instagram account if you think it has been hacked or is being used by someone else. If someone has accessed your account or you're having trouble signing in, visit this page in a browser on your computer or mobile device to help protect your account.

You can also try to restore access according to the instructions below. Some of the actions listed are not available for all account types, but we recommend trying each one.

Check if you received an email from Instagram

If you received an email from [email protected] informing you that your email address has changed, please try to cancel and secure your account by clicking on the link. If some other information has changed (for example, the password), and you cannot restore the previous email address, request a login link or Instagram security code.

Request Instagram login link

To help us verify that the account belongs to you, request a login link, which we will send to your email address or phone number.

To request a login link:

Click Get help signing in (Android) or Forgot your password? (iPhone or browser).

Enter the username, email address, or phone number associated with your account and click Next. If you don't have access to that username, email address, or phone number, enter the login information you last used. Then click Can't reset your password? under the Next button and follow the instructions on the screen.

Pass verification to verify you are human (browser only).

Select your email address or phone number, and then click Next.

Follow the login link provided in the email or SMS and follow the instructions on the screen.

Request a security code or support on Instagram

If you are unable to recover your account using the login link, please request support.

To do this, follow the steps below.

Instagram app for Android

Instagram app for iPhone

Enter a secure email address that only you can access. After submitting your request, expect an email from Instagram with further instructions.

Learn more about what to do if you don't know your username.

Verify your identity

If you request support for an account that does not have a photo of you, you will receive an automatic email response from Meta Support. In order to verify your identity, we will ask you to provide the email address or phone number that you provided during registration, as well as the type of device from which you registered (for example, iPhone, Android device, iPad, etc.).

If you request support for an account that contains a photo of you, we will ask you to take a video selfie of you turning your head in different directions. This way we can verify that you are a real person and confirm your identity.

After sending a video selfie, you will receive an email from Instagram to the email address you provided. With the help of this video, we will be able to verify that you are a real person and verify your identity.

Note. The video you send will never appear on Instagram and will be deleted after 30 days.

If we can't verify your identity using the received video, you can submit a new one for verification.

Note. Instagram does not use facial recognition, and we do not use this technology for video selfies. A video selfie allows us to verify that you are a real person, and we can manually verify it to grant you access to your account.

If you can log into your Instagram account

If you think your account has been hacked or has been attempted to be hacked, but you can log in, check out our security tips:

Change your password or request an email to reset your password.

Enable two-factor authentication.

Make sure you have the correct phone number and email address in your account settings.

Check the Account Center and remove linked accounts that you don't recognize.

Revoke the permissions of all suspicious third-party applications.

how to restore an account and return the page

Today, social networks are the best way to reflect how we would like to appear before the whole world, and from the thought that you can lose your "presence" on the pages of social networks - and at the same time, kilometers correspondence, subscribers and likes - terrifies. At the same time, hackers hack into thousands of Instagram accounts every day. How not to become a victim of modern technology and what to do if your Instagram was hacked this time - we analyze below.

How do you know if your Instagram has been hacked?

At the moment in Kazakhstan the situation is such that interruptions in the work of social networks are a fairly common problem. Realizing that your account is not working not because you are in the Internet blocking zone, but because someone really hacked you, you should act immediately. What are the signs of hacking?

The password has changed, you cannot log in to the social network.
There are publications that were not made by you.
Some correspondence has disappeared.
Weird places or gadgets were found in the activity history.
The account has been deleted or disabled.

You see one of the situations described above - change the password immediately, if it is still possible.

Who needs it?

Who hacked your Instagram is another question that might interest you. If you have several tens of thousands of subscribers, hackers can demand money for the account or resell it. Do not fall for provocations and immediately contact the support of the social network.

Another potential reason for hacking could be jealousy or distrust on the part of a loved one. That is why all passwords should be kept strictly secret, do not share them with anyone!

Instagram was hacked. What to do?

So, your Instagram has been hacked. What should be your first steps if you are the victim of a scammer?

Try to solve the problem yourself

Most likely when hacking, hackers will change your profile name and password. In this case, your actions should be as follows:

Click on the "Help" section.
Enter a nickname or email address.
If your nickname has been changed, there is a function to send a screenshot.
Wait for the arrow to activate.
Click on the line with additional help.

Next, you should write down the reason (hacking), then send a request. After some time, you will receive a response - most likely, you will be asked for additional information, asked to take a photo with a code or send personal documents. If everything is in order, the profile will be restored in a few days.

Hacked Instagram + e-mail

Often scammers change the password not only on your page, but also in the e-mail to which it is attached (which is why it is especially important that the passwords are different everywhere). Here you can try to restore access through a phone number or Facebook. If this did not work out, try turning to the so-called ethical hackers, which we talk about in the next part of the article.

Contact a specialist

If you cannot solve the problem yourself, you should contact a specialist. Anton Zodiak, an ethical hacker who helped restore the accounts of Kazakhstani celebrities Dinara Rakhimbayeva, Ramine Taipova, Asel Askar, Karina Syzdykova and Alina Martin, answered the most frequently asked questions especially for us.

Why it is important to contact specialists

Often the cause of hacking is human carelessness. Most people are not technically literate. Accordingly, methods of hacking pages and methods of struggle are being improved every day. In order to get their account back quickly and without loss of content, people are looking for a person who will help them. In some cases, the pages are hidden so that they are almost impossible to find. A competent specialist knows all the hacking and return methods that exist today, so he can return the account in a short time.

How long to wait

How long it takes to recover a page after a hack depends on the complexity of the problem. This may take a few minutes or several days.

What to do if scammers have hacked Instagram and demand money

If your Instagram has been hacked, never send money to scammers. Once paid, they always either ask for more or stop communicating. When capturing an account, many immediately delete it forever, then ask for money and return the password. But the page has been removed.

How can I protect myself from being hacked?

It seems that no one is safe from a burglary situation. However, in many cases it can indeed be avoided. You just have to follow a few simple rules.

Complex password

Sounds like an obvious thing, but your password really needs to be complex. Use uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation, but never create a password from your date of birth or the name of a loved one!

Passwords must be different for different social networks and services. Smartphones have special applications that will help you remember all the passwords, but you should be extremely careful with them: they do not guarantee anything. Come up with several options for a complex password with minimal variations, so that if something happens, you can pick it up. And keep it in a closed, safe place.

Two-factor authentication

This feature appeared in Instagram quite a while ago, but, unfortunately, few people use it. Turn it on and you'll have to enter a special code every time you visit the page on a new device. This will make your account harder to hack.

Phishing

Ethical hacker Anton Zodiak believes that human inattention is the most popular "culprit" of hacking. “Always check who the letter came from. Fraudsters send phishing messages purporting to be from Instagram, he says. - People click on the sent link, which gives hackers access to their personal data. It is very easy to identify a phishing email: when you click on the link, look at which site you have landed on. If it doesn't say Instagram.com, then it's a hack."

Link a phone number to Instagram and Facebook

This precaution will give you additional loopholes when you try to recover your account.

Stories of real people whose Instagram was hacked in Kazakhstan

We share with you two real stories that we found useful.

My Instagram was hacked. Story #1

On August 22, 2019, blogger Assel Zoi shared her story on her Facebook page.

“Over the past few days, several of my friends' Instagram accounts have been hacked at once. And they turned to me,” she shared. “Usually the attack of hackers goes to the regions: so hold on…”. Asel advises not to fall for phishing, enable two-factor authentication, and immediately contact technical support. “But keep in mind, Facebook and Instagram support is very slow and reluctant to respond,” she added.

Asel Zoi

“In parallel, contact as many friends as possible with a request that they send requests from their Instagram accounts to hack your account. The more requests IG receives, the higher the chance that tech support will respond to your problem.

“It is not always possible to restore the account name, because usually renamed. And twice in the IG you can not be called by the same name. Therefore, in advance, come up with an alternative option that will be hooked.

“And finally, stay away from all social networks, banks, etc. The issue of cybersecurity is coming to the fore in our time. I recommend changing/verifying your keys every month and additionally storing them in printed form.”

My Instagram was hacked. Story #2

“The Instagram account of my store was hacked three times,” says Baktybala Torgautova, founder of the @matays_kz_ Insta store.

“The first time it was hackers from Russia. My page was hacked and they immediately wrote on WhatsApp that they have my account and they demand to transfer about 50,000 tenge. I did not know how to do this, because my bank cards did not involve international transactions. As a result, the hackers asked to use the Yandex.Money service. When that didn’t work either, I sent the amount through a Qiwi wallet. I got my account back."

via @matays_kz_

“The second case was a little different: I bought an account with subscribers, paid for it, but after some time I was blocked from accessing it, as it turned out that the account was someone else's and did not belong to the seller. With this situation, I went to the police department at the place of registration.