How to recover an Instagram account without the email or phone number

Short answer: if a hacker changed your email, look in your old inbox for a message from security@mail.instagram.com and use its link to reverse the change. Otherwise, go to instagram.com/hacked on a phone and request support with an email address only you can access. Instagram may then ask for a video selfie if the account has photos of you, or for your signup details and device type if it doesn't.

First, which situation are you in?

The right route depends on what happened. Meta's steps also vary by account type, region and device, so some options below may not appear for you.

• A hacker changed the email or phone. You still own the old email address, but the account now points elsewhere.
• You lost the email or phone yourself. An old work address, a closed email account, a number you no longer have.
• You are still logged in somewhere but can't receive codes on a new device.
• You don't remember the username either.

Option 1: the security email (after a hack)

When the email on an Instagram account is changed, Meta's page on changed emails says Instagram sends two emails: one to the new address to allow the change, and one to the original address to deny it. The one sent to your original address comes from security@mail.instagram.com and contains a special link to reverse the change and help secure your account.

1. Search your old inbox, including spam and trash, for security@mail.instagram.com.
2. Open the most recent message about the email or password change.
3. Select "secure my account" or the equivalent link and follow the steps.
4. Change your password as soon as you are back in.

This works even after the hacker changed the address, because the message goes to your original email. If the hacker also changed the password and you still can't get in, move to the next options.

Option 2: a login link

If you still control at least one of the email address, phone number or username, Instagram's hacked account page describes the login link:

1. On the login screen, tap "Forgot password?"
2. Enter the username, email or phone number linked to the account, then choose to send a login link.
3. Complete the captcha to show you are a real person.
4. Open the link in the email or text message and follow the steps.

If you don't know the username, Instagram has a page on forgotten usernames.

Option 3: instagram.com/hacked and a support request

If you have no access to the email or phone at all, Meta points you to instagram.com/hacked.

1. Open instagram.com/hacked in a mobile or desktop browser.
2. Choose the option that matches your situation, such as no longer having access to the email or phone.
3. Request support. Meta says you may be able to request support from a mobile device if the login link didn't work, so try a phone if the computer doesn't show the option.
4. Enter a secure email address that only you can access. Instagram sends the next steps there. Create a fresh address if you need to, and don't use one the hacker might know.

Option 4: confirm your identity

After a support request, Meta explains two paths on its hacked account page:

• Accounts with photos of you. You are asked to take a video selfie, turning your head in different directions. Meta says the video is never visible on Instagram and is deleted within 30 days, and that if it can't confirm your identity, you can submit a new video. If the check keeps failing, see our guide on an Instagram video selfie that isn't working.
• Accounts without photos of you. You should get an automatic email from Meta's support team asking for the email address or phone number you signed up with and the type of device you used at signup, such as iPhone, Android or iPad.

Answer exactly and honestly. Old details you used years ago are still useful here, because they help show the account was yours from the start.

Option 5: devices and backup codes

• A device still logged in. If the account is still open on an old phone, tablet or browser, use it now. Meta's lost access page says that once you can reach your profile settings, you should replace the old email or phone with ones you can access.
• Trusted devices. With two-factor authentication on, Meta's two-factor page explains that a device you marked as trusted doesn't need a security code at each login. Try logging in from a device you used and trusted before.
• Backup codes. The same page says that if you lose your phone or email and can't get login codes, you can use a backup code. Check your notes, password manager or screenshots for codes you saved.
• Facebook login. If your Instagram was linked to Facebook or you signed up with Facebook, try "Log in with Facebook".

If you simply lost the email yourself

Meta is direct about this case. Its lost access page says to try to regain the email first through your email provider's own recovery process, and that Instagram can't help you get back into your email account. It also says that if you can't access the email you registered with and didn't link Instagram and Facebook, Meta is unable to give you access. In practice, the hacked account routes above may still be offered, so try them, but recovering the email account itself is often the most direct path.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting too long. Act while the security email and your old details are fresh.
• Using an email the hacker can read for the support request.
• Sending codes, selfies or IDs to people who DM you. Instagram does not contact users by DM about their account.
• Paying anyone who claims to work for Instagram. Nobody selling recovery works for Meta.

If the account was disabled rather than hacked, read our guide on disabled or suspended accounts instead, and use our free Instagram appeal letter generator if you need to explain your case in writing. Once you are back in, follow our guide to keeping your Instagram account safe, and read the hacked account guide for the full lockdown checklist. Meta's account recovery hub lists the official routes too.

When to ask for help

If none of these routes works, the support request goes unanswered, or the account is a business or creator page you can't afford to lose, you can ask QJIH to look at your case. We are an independent agency based in Paris, not Meta, and we have recovered 2,000 Instagram accounts and pages since 2019. We review your case first and tell you honestly what can be done. The price and terms depend on the case and are agreed before anything starts. Nobody can guarantee a result with Instagram, and we never promise one.