Instagram username changed by a hacker: how to find your account and get your name back

This guide is only about getting your username back after a hacker renamed the account. If you are still locked out, start with hacked Instagram account recovery, and if the email or phone was changed, see Instagram hacked and the email changed.

Why hackers change usernames

A new username hides the account from your followers, breaks links in your bio and other sites, and stops you from searching for it by name. Sometimes the attacker also wants your old username itself, especially short or brand names, to sell or use elsewhere.

Our guides to hacked Instagram account recovery and Instagram hacked with the email changed cover full account takeover. This guide focuses on the username problem.

Step 1: Find the account's current username

Instagram's forgotten username page says that if you think your username was changed because your account was hacked, you can:

• check whether you received an email from Instagram notifying you that your account information was changed;
• ask a friend to visit your profile and take a screenshot of your current username.

Friends can usually find the profile through an old conversation in their DMs, a tag in one of their posts, or their following list. The display name and profile photo often stay the same even when the username changes.

You can also start recovery with your email or phone number instead of the username.

Step 2: Recover access

1. Check your email for a message from security@mail.instagram.com about the change. Instagram's hacked account page says that if your email was changed, you may be able to undo it by selecting “secure my account” in that message.
2. Request a login link. On the login screen, tap Forgot password?, enter the new username, your email or your phone number, and send a login link.
3. Use instagram.com/hacked if those details no longer work. Instagram says that if you can't recover the account with the login link, you may be able to request support on a mobile device, and should use a secure email that only you can access.
4. Verify your identity. For accounts with photos of you, Instagram may ask for a video selfie; for others, it may ask for the original sign-up email or phone number and the type of device you used.

Step 3: Reclaim your original username

Once you're back in, go to Edit profile › Username and try your old name. Instagram's page on reusing usernames says that in most cases you can change back to a previously used name if:

• the username hasn't been taken by a new person on Instagram; and
• the username hasn't recently been removed from an active Instagram account that you don't own.

It also says that if your account reaches a lot of people, a username change may need to be reviewed, and that your followers may be notified of the change.

If someone else took your old username

This is the hard case. Instagram usernames are generally first come, first served. If the person holding it is impersonating you or your business, report the account for impersonation. If it's a registered trademark, Instagram's trademark username page explains how to report a username that infringes your trademark. Otherwise there may be no official route to force a transfer.

Step 4: Lock it down

• Change your password to one you don't use anywhere else.
• Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app, and save backup codes.
• In Accounts Center, check where you're logged in and remove unknown devices.
• Remove linked accounts and third-party apps you don't recognise.
• Update the links in your bio and on other platforms that pointed to the old username.
• Tell followers which username is genuine, especially if the hacker posted scams.

Mistakes to avoid

• Paying the hacker to return the account or username. There's no guarantee, and it marks you as a target.
• Buying your username back from a “username seller.” Trading usernames breaks Instagram's terms, and the name can be removed again.
• Creating a new account with a near-identical name before the old one is recovered. It can confuse followers and Instagram's review.

When to get help

If you've recovered the account but can't get your username back, or the name matters to a business, Unbanz can look at what options realistically exist. We are an independent service, not affiliated with Meta. Our username service starts with a free case check, and you'll get a quote before any work. Accepted cases typically take an estimated 3–14 days. Recovery is guaranteed once we accept your case. We review every account first and only take cases we can win. We never ask for your password or codes. We won't promise a username we can't legitimately help with.