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 tackle fake accounts and accounts posing as someone else.
Instagram writes in a blog post that the function for compromised users is available in the app e the desktop version. The user is presented with several options, including one that indicates that the access code was sent to a mobile number or email address that is not theirs. Once the issue is selected, the user can follow a series of steps which 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 ask two Instagram friends to verify the identity. Instagram tested this feature earlier this year and it’s now available to everyone. Friends have 24 hours to respond to the request. In that case, the user can set a new password.
Instagram will also test a feature that will warn when an account is impersonating someone else and send the user a follow request. In the coming months, Instagram will also start sending alerts to those who receive a personal message from an account that may be impersonating a business. Also, the blue badge for verified accounts is visible in multiple 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.
