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Instagram Account Hacked? How to Recover It

Short answer: If someone took over your Instagram account, act quickly using Instagram's official recovery tools only.

TL;DR: quick fix

Check your email for a message from security@mail.instagram.com about a changed email address; it often includes a link to revert the change.
Go to instagram.com/hacked (or tap "Forgot password?" > "Need more help?" in the app) and follow the steps.
You may be asked to verify your identity, for example with a video selfie.

Is Instagram down?

Before you change settings, check Meta Status. If there's an outage, wait it out.

How to fix it: step by step

Check your email for a message from security@mail.instagram.com about a changed email address; it often includes a link to revert the change.
Go to instagram.com/hacked (or tap "Forgot password?" > "Need more help?" in the app) and follow the steps.
You may be asked to verify your identity, for example with a video selfie.
Once back in, change your password, turn on two-factor authentication, and remove unknown devices and third-party apps.
Never pay people who claim they can recover accounts; these are commonly scams.

FAQ

Can Instagram support recover my account by phone?

Use the official in-app and instagram.com/hacked flows. Be wary of anyone contacting you offering recovery.

More Instagram fixes

Last checked Oct 2026 against the official help page: Instagram Help Center. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.