Everything works until it doesn’t.
And part of the problem is when the technical side of life works we take it for granted.
I like to think of myself as not too shabby when it comes to the tech-savvy; I’m no code-breaker but I’m not a total novice either. Yet my main Instagram got hacked last Friday and while it doesn’t matter at all in the large view of life, it’s even refreshing to be without it for 5 days in many ways, it’s a right pain to get it back and operational again.
There are a lot of hacks on Instagram right now and obviously the answer is to click on absolutely nothing you are not familiar with but having said that mine was a Direct Message that looked 100% genuine. Ok, fool me did click.
Suddenly your email, phone number and password have gone and replaced with generally a vile looking photo and perhaps unsavoury content. Oftentimes the hackers will contact your contacts asking for money in a pretence that can seem real.
Please let me say I am no expert and there is no guarantee of success but this was my experience. I know it’s all too much to contemplate and take in and hopefully, it will never be information needed. If it is I am happy to help. xv
**Before a problem arises make sure to turn on Two-factor authentication in Instagram.
Go to the profile page and tap the three bars at the top on the right-hand side.
Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication > Authentication app ON
Follow the prompts and you will receive 4 x 8 digit recovery codes.
Save these to your “password vault” outside of Instagram.
If you are hacked at any time in the future using one of these 8 digit codes will enable you to access your account.
I had not enabled this feature so it made the reinstating all the more complicated.
Here’s What To Do
Emails will arrive asking if your password/email address/username/telephone number has changed.
Click the link disputing this and you will hopefully be directed to a new page and able to change them. You may even have access to your account. If you have enabled this Two Factor authentication you will be sent a text message with a 6 digit code followed by a chance to insert your Recovery Code (saved by you elsewhere).
If you are still locked out of Instagram:
*Most importantly, before anything, change your password relating to your email address in your computer and phone through your provider.
Go to the Instagram Log-In on your iPhone.
Insert your original User Name or email address.
Click on Forgot Password.
You will see a choice of tabs. Click on the one offering Further Support.
A new page will open in a dark colour and you will be able to enter your information and describe the problem.
An automated email will arrive asking you for details.
The email you need is the one requesting a photo of you holding a paper with hand-written code, they have sent in this email. (Yes, this is genuine.) They will verify your Instagram and come back with directions on how to re-access and log in.
The response time from Instagram is varied and until you receive this email asking for your photograph you will not be able to log in. If I had had those authentication codes saved I would have saved days of wasted time.
My problem was I didn’t understand the importance of this email asking for my photograph. The emails were arriving in Turkish language (weird but that’s what happened) and didn’t seem genuine and as I was already on alert I was not inclined to follow. After much researching (and translating) I found this to be the way back in.
I followed the directions and my Instagram account is back up and running.
image of Karl Lagerfeld in his Parisian library by Matthieu Salvaing
