Comments quickly flood in when an Instagram account announces new features. Unfortunately, it’s not generally praise for the latest update, but rather request after request from frustrated users who have been locked out of their own profiles thanks to hackers.
We have all heard about someone who is in the same situation, and we know how hard it can be for people to seek help via Instagram.
Long-awaited security enhancements for Instagram
Instagram has finally listened to its users and launched an updated help page to aid them in recovering their accounts that were hacked. By heading to Instagram.com/hacked, users can get help if:
- The hacker has hacked their account
- They’ve forgotten their password
- A login code was sent to a mobile number or email address that they don’t have access to
- They are being impersonated by someone else and have created a brand new account with their photos, name, or other personal information.
- Their account was closed
- Other things
You can choose to go down different paths depending on how you want to resolve your issue. Some options can help you verify your identity while others may redirect to the right assistance or pages for password recovery.
Instagram also offers a tool to verify identity that it has tested earlier in the year. Users can nominate up to two friends. This can be used to gain access to an hacked account.
New ways are available on Instagram to receive support if you don’t have access to your account.
In addition, the company promises to protect users from future hackers by taking immediate steps to remove duplicate accounts and alert them if they are being followed by suspicious accounts. When an account attempts to impersonate a company, users will also be warned.
The distinctive blue ticks of verified accounts can now be seen in more places, such as Stories, direct message, and in the main feed.
The effectiveness of these measures at large remains uncertain. At least there’s now an official place to go when help is needed — and that should reduce the effectiveness of scammers offering fake help.
Alongside those frustrated “help me, I’m hacked ”Instagram comments, you’ll usually find just as many robotic responses directing you towards various “experts” for help. Please don’t do that. Instagram now has an official support webpage. I’m hoping that fewer people fall for this trap.
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