We have listed down everything that you can do to make sure your Instagram account is safe. Take a look:
Make your profile Private
By not having a public profile, you are getting yourself and your content away from the eyes of anyone who you have not accepted as your follower. While it means lesser views on Stories and fewer likes on photos, it also means that your content is only visible to those whom you really care about on the app. Here’s how you can make your Instagram profile private:
Open your profile on Instagram. Swipe to the left and click on the ‘Settings’ icon. Tap on the option of ‘Privacy and Security’ and then select ‘Account Privacy’. Enable the toggle next to ‘Private Account’. If you are accessing your profile via the web, the only difference will be a checkbox in place of a toggle with the option of ‘Private Account’. Just click on it to select the option.
Once you do this, only your followers will be able to see what you post on the platform. Rest will have to wait till you approve their follow request.
Turn on two-factor authentication for your account
If you have the option of two-factor authentication turned on, then you will receive a text message with a code every time you log in to Instagram using a new device. You would be required to enter the code to log in to your account. This basically ensures that no one logs in to your account and poses as you. Here’s how you can do it:
Go to the Settings of your account and click on ‘Privacy and Security’. Here, tap on ‘Two-Factor Authentication’ and then select ‘Get Started’. Enable the toggle next to ‘Text Message.’ You can also alternatively enable ‘Authentication App’ if you have a preference of that over messages.
Check if your account has been hacked
Do you think that your Instagram account has been hacked? You will be able to confirm this by checking your past account activity on the app. Here’s how you can do that:
Go to ‘Settings’ and then tap on ‘Privacy and Security’. Here, click on the option of ‘Access Data’. If you are accessing via the web, you would see the option of ‘View Account Data’ instead. Press on that. You will come to a page that will give you information on various aspects of your profile including ‘Account privacy changes’, ‘Logins’ and ‘Logouts’ to name a few. Check all of these and if you find any unfamiliar activity, it means that someone else has access to your account. If you are sure that this is the case, change your password.
Stop third part apps from getting your data
There are tonnes of third-party apps that will ask to get access to data on your Instagram account. But then, you should only give access to apps that truly require it to function correctly. If you think you have already given access to an app that doesn’t need your Instagram data, you can revoke it too. However, note that this can only be done via the web. Here are the steps that you need to follow:
Access your Instagram profile via the web. Go to Settings. Tap on ‘Authorized Apps‘. This will show you a list of apps that have access to your Instagram data. Press on ‘Revoke Access’ for any app you don’t wish to share your data with and when asked to confirm, select ‘Yes’.
Remove some followers
Sometimes, in order to keep your account secure, you need to remove certain followers. This will make sure that they are not able to see your posts anymore. If you think you are in need of this, here’s what you need to do:
Select ‘Followers’ on your Instagram profile. Search for the name of the follower you wish to block. Tap on the three-dot icon next to their name, and then select ‘Remove’
