WhatsAppHow to recover your Instagram account: the complete guide
There are many reasons to lose access to Instagram, and each one has its own path. This guide helps you identify your case in under a minute and points you to the right official process.
In this guide
Identify your situation
Pick the option that best describes what is happening. Each link takes you to a dedicated guide with the official steps.
- You forgot your password but still have the email or phone: keep reading this guide.
- You were hacked and someone changed your details: hacked Instagram account.
- You no longer have the email or phone, or the authentication code doesn’t arrive: recover Instagram without email or phone.
- Your account is suspended or disabled: how to appeal a suspended or disabled account.
- You want to talk to Instagram: how to contact Instagram.
If you forgot your password
On the login screen, tap the option to reset your password and enter your username, email or phone number. Instagram will send you a link or code to create a new password. Check your spam folder too and wait a few minutes before requesting another one.
If the link doesn’t arrive, make sure the email or phone you type is still the one linked to the account. If it isn’t, or someone changed it, go to the guide that matches your case.
Instagram trusts phones and connections you already used with the account. If you can, start the process from there: it usually shows more recovery options.
Meta’s Account Recovery Center
Meta brings together the recovery options for Facebook, Instagram and its other apps on a single help page. If you don’t know where to start, it is the official starting point: it asks what is happening and redirects you to the right form. You will find the link in the official sources at the end of this guide.
If you deactivated or deleted your account
If you deactivated the account temporarily, simply logging back in reactivates it. If you asked for it to be deleted, Instagram keeps a limited period during which you can cancel the request by logging in again. Once that period ends, deletion is permanent and there is no way to recover the account, whatever anyone offering otherwise may say.
Information to have ready
- Your exact username, or the one you had before the hack.
- The email and phone number you created the account with.
- A device you have used Instagram on before.
- Recent photos of yourself on the profile, in case you are asked for a video selfie.
- Screenshots of the notices and emails you have received.
Mistakes that make things worse
Sending the same request over and over, creating new accounts to get around a block, using third-party apps that promise to recover accounts and, above all, paying so-called hackers or giving them your codes.
Each repeated failed attempt can temporarily block new requests, and new accounts created to get around a penalty can end up disabled as well.
If none of this works
In some cases Instagram offers no option at all, rejects the verification or replies with automated messages. When that happens, it is worth calmly reviewing which routes are still open before trying again. At RecuperarCuenta we analyse your case and tell you what makes sense to try, without ever asking for your password.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover my Instagram account with my ID?
In some cases, yes. When it can’t confirm your identity another way, Meta may ask for a photo of an official document such as an ID card or passport. Upload it only inside the official forms that appear during the recovery process and never send it to anyone by direct message.
How do I recover Instagram if I no longer have the same number?
First try to get the number back from your carrier, for example by requesting a replacement SIM. If that’s not possible, use the account email or identity verification. We explain it step by step in recover Instagram without email or phone.
How can I get a copy of my Instagram data?
If you still have access, you can download a copy of your photos, messages and data from Meta’s Accounts Center, in the section about your information. If you have lost access, you will first need to recover the account using one of the processes in this guide.
Official sources consulted
- Instagram Help Center: I can’t log in
- Instagram Help Center: account recovery and login
- Meta: Account Recovery Center
- Instagram Help Center: disabled accounts
We review these pages regularly and update the guide when Meta changes its processes.