SECURE YOUR INSTAGRAM

Secure your Instagram

Work through these settings one at a time. After making a change, verify that the protection is actually active.

Instagram security is something you should review regularly.

Your Instagram account can contain personal information, conversations, photographs, connections and other information that you may not want strangers to access.

Work through the settings below in a calm, deliberate way. You do not have to change everything at once.

What should I never share?
Never give anyone your Instagram password, one-time password, authentication code, recovery code or other security secret. Someone claiming to be Instagram support should not need these secrets from you.
What if I find a login I do not recognize?
Stop before making unnecessary changes. Preserve the relevant information, secure the account through trusted settings and treat the situation as a possible account compromise if you cannot explain the activity.
INSTAGRAM SECURITY CHECKLIST

Work through these settings one at a time.

Open each section to see the practical steps. After making a change, use the verification point to confirm that the protection is actually active.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Add another layer of protection so a stolen password is less likely to be enough to access your Instagram account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Accounts Center.
  4. Open Password and security.
  5. Select Two-factor authentication.
  6. Choose your Instagram account.
  7. Select an available authentication method and follow the instructions.
  8. Complete the verification process and save any legitimate backup or recovery information that Instagram provides.

VERIFY: Return to the two-factor authentication settings and confirm that it shows as enabled for your Instagram account.

Check where your Instagram is logged in

Review the devices and sessions that currently have access to your account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Accounts Center.
  4. Open Password and security.
  5. Look for the section showing where you are logged in or your active sessions.
  6. Select your Instagram account if more than one account is listed.
  7. Review the devices, locations or sessions shown.
  8. If you see a device or session you do not recognize, investigate it before trusting it.
  9. Sign out of an unfamiliar session if you are confident that it is not yours.

VERIFY: Check the active-session list again and make sure the devices that remain are ones you recognize and control.

Turn on login or security alerts

Security notifications can help you notice unusual activity sooner.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Accounts Center.
  4. Open Password and security.
  5. Look for security alerts, login alerts or recent security activity.
  6. Review the available notification options.
  7. Enable the appropriate alerts for your account.

VERIFY: Confirm that the relevant security notification option is enabled.

Review your recovery information

Make sure the email address and phone number used to recover your account are still under your control.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Open the menu (☰).
  3. Go to Accounts Center.
  4. Review your personal details or contact information.
  5. Check the email address associated with your account.
  6. Check the phone number associated with your account.
  7. Remove or replace recovery information you no longer control.
  8. Make sure you can actually access the email address and phone number you keep.

VERIFY: Confirm that every recovery method belongs to you and that you can access it right now.

Use a strong, unique password

Your Instagram password should not be reused on another important account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Open the menu (☰).
  3. Go to Accounts Center.
  4. Open Password and security.
  5. Choose the option to change your password.
  6. Create a strong password that you do not use anywhere else.
  7. Store the password securely, preferably in a reputable password manager.
  8. Do not share the password with anyone claiming to be Instagram support.

VERIFY: Confirm that the password has been changed successfully and that you can sign in normally using the new password.

Make your account private if appropriate

A private account gives you more control over who can see your posts and follow you.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Settings and activity or the relevant privacy settings.
  4. Open Account privacy.
  5. Review whether your account is currently public or private.
  6. If a private account is appropriate for you, turn on Private account.
  7. Review your followers and remove accounts you no longer want following you.

VERIFY: Check the account privacy setting and confirm that it matches the level of visibility you actually want.

Control who can message you

Reduce unwanted contact and make it harder for suspicious accounts to reach you through messages.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Settings and activity.
  4. Look for Messages and story replies or the messaging controls available on your account.
  5. Review who can send you message requests.
  6. Review controls for people you do not follow.
  7. Choose the settings that match the level of contact you are comfortable receiving.

VERIFY: Review the messaging controls and make sure unwanted or unfamiliar accounts cannot contact you more easily than you intended.

Control tags and mentions

Reduce the chance of unwanted posts, tags or mentions appearing around your account.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Settings and activity.
  4. Find Tags and mentions.
  5. Review who can tag you.
  6. Review who can mention you.
  7. Choose the most appropriate options for your account.
  8. If available, enable manual approval for tags so you can review them before they appear on your profile.

VERIFY: Confirm that your tag and mention settings match who you actually want interacting with your profile.

Review connected apps and websites

Third-party services connected to Instagram may have access to account information or functions.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Tap the menu button (☰).
  3. Open Accounts Center or the relevant security/privacy settings.
  4. Look for Apps and websites, connected apps or a similar option.
  5. Review the services that currently have access.
  6. Identify anything you no longer use or do not recognize.
  7. Remove access where appropriate.
  8. Be especially careful with services you do not remember authorizing.

VERIFY: After removing unnecessary access, review the connected-services list again and confirm that only services you recognize remain.

Review your security information

Regularly checking recent security activity can help you notice changes that you did not make.

Click to see protection steps

Step-by-step

  1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
  2. Open the menu (☰).
  3. Go to Accounts Center.
  4. Open Password and security.
  5. Review recent security activity or security information available for your account.
  6. Look for password changes, login activity or other changes you do not recognize.
  7. If something looks suspicious, stop making ordinary settings changes and treat the account as potentially compromised.

VERIFY: You should be able to recognize the important recent security activity associated with your account.

Something does not look right?

If you find an unfamiliar login, changed recovery information, unexpected security alerts or another sign that someone may have accessed your account, stop the normal security check and move to the recovery process.

I think my account is compromised →
Still need help?

If you have worked through the relevant settings and something still looks wrong, do not give your security secrets to someone promising to fix the account. Use the service's official support and recovery resources for service-specific account problems.

For broader cybersecurity problems, you can also use the professional assistance pathway on this platform.

Need Professional Help? →
Instagram security is not a one-time task.

Review important account settings periodically, especially after a password change, device change, suspicious message or unexpected login alert.

VERIFY BEFORE YOU TRUST.

← Back to Secure Your Accounts