Instagram or TikTok Account Hacked? Step-by-Step Recovery Guide (2026)

Your Instagram or TikTok account is hacked — password changed, email changed, or strange posts and messages going out in your name. Both platforms have official recovery flows. Use only those. Anyone offering to recover your account for money on Telegram, WhatsApp or Instagram is almost certainly a scammer — recovery through the official flow is free.

Start from a device you trust, and act fast: the sooner you report the hack, the harder it is for the attacker to lock you out completely.

Instagram — recover your account step by step

1. Go to instagram.com/hacked and choose "My account was hacked". Follow the steps — Instagram will ask for the username, and send a login link or security code to your email or phone.
2. If the attacker changed your email: on the login screen tap "Get help logging in" (Android) or "Forgot password?" (iPhone), enter your username, then choose "I can't access this email or phone number" and follow the on-screen steps.
3. Instagram may ask for a video selfie to confirm your identity. This is a real Instagram security check — it compares the video with your profile photos. It is done inside the Instagram app only, never by sending a video to a stranger.
4. Once you are back in, change your password to a long, unique one you have never used anywhere else.
5. Check Where you're logged in (Settings → Accounts Centre → Password and security → Where you're logged in) and log out of every device and location you do not recognize.
6. Check that your email address and phone number are still yours, and that no unknown Facebook account is linked.
7. Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app (see our 2FA for YouTubers guide), and turn on login alerts.

TikTok — recover your account step by step

1. Open TikTok and tap Profile → Menu → Settings and privacy → Report a problem, then search for account recovery — or use the help pages at support.tiktok.com.
2. If you can still log in with your email or phone, reset your password immediately to a long, unique one.
3. If the attacker changed your email or phone number, use the "Forgot password?" link on the login screen and follow the account recovery steps. TikTok may ask you to verify your identity with information only the real owner would know.
4. Once you are back in, open Settings and privacy → Security and check Security alerts and Manage devices. Remove every device you do not recognize.
5. Turn on 2-step verification (authenticator app is strongest) and check your linked accounts — remove any you do not recognize.
6. Check your videos, bio and linked website for changes the attacker made, and remove anything you did not post.

Warn your followers

Hackers use stolen accounts to message followers asking for money, cryptocurrency, or "verification" codes. Post from a second account, or ask a friend to post, warning your followers that your account was hacked and that any money request from it is fake. Report any scam messages sent from your account inside the app.

If you cannot get back in

• Keep trying the official recovery flow only — repeated attempts with correct information work better than paying a stranger.
• Report the account as hacked or impersonating you from a friend's account (Profile → Report).
• Never share your password, 2FA codes or ID documents with anyone claiming to be "support" in DMs. Real support never asks for them in chat.
• If money was stolen, contact your bank and report the crime to your local cybercrime authority, and keep screenshots and dates.

Lock both accounts down

• Use a different, unique password for each app, stored in a password manager.
• Turn on authenticator-app two-factor authentication on both Instagram and TikTok.
• Review third-party apps connected to your accounts and remove anything you do not use.
• Be suspicious of DMs about "verification", "copyright strikes" or "brand deals" — check the sender carefully and never click links or download files from them.
• Keep your recovery email and phone number up to date on both apps.