Instagram adds feature to recover hacked account

Instagram has added a new feature that should help users if their account has been hacked. The platform also says it is working on new measures to counter fake accounts and accounts that pose as someone else.

Instagram writes in a blog post that the function for hacked users is available in the app and the desktop version. The user is presented with several options, including one that indicates that the login code was sent to a mobile number or email address that is not the user’s own. Once the issue has been selected, the user can follow a series of steps that should allow them to regain access to their account.

One method that can be used to verify that an account actually belongs to the user is to have two Instagram friends verify the identity. Instagram tested this feature earlier this year and it is now available to everyone. The friends are given 24 hours to respond to the request. If they do, then the user can set a new password.

Instagram will also test a feature that will warn when an account is impersonating someone else and sends the user a follow request. In the coming months, Instagram will also begin sending alerts to those who receive a personal message from an account that may be posing as a business. In addition, the blue badge for verified accounts is visible in more places. In addition to profiles, users now also see the badge in Stories and personal messages. Soon the badge will also appear in the feed. Instagram says this helps users know if an account they’re interacting with is real.