Social media account hacked: how to recover Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok

Identity theft. Updated 2026-09-13. About 4 minutes to read.

Secure the email account linked to your profile first, then use the platform's official hacked-account page, never a 'recovery expert' who messages you.

Check your email before you touch the social media account. If a hacker changed the email on your Instagram or Facebook, they very likely got into that email or reused a leaked password, and they will simply take the account back if the email is still theirs to read.

Once your email is secure, each platform has an official recovery route. This guide covers Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, then the clean-up that prevents a second takeover and protects the friends and followers the hacker will now target.

Before you start: secure the email and phone behind the account

  1. Sign in to the email address linked to the social account from a trusted device and change its password.
  2. In that email account, sign out other sessions, remove unknown recovery details, and delete forwarding rules you did not create.
  3. Look for the security message the platform sent when your email or password changed. Many include a link to reverse the change, which is the fastest route back.
  4. Confirm your phone still has service. A sudden loss of signal can mean a SIM swap, so call your carrier from another phone.

Facebook and Instagram

  • Facebook: go to facebook.com/hacked from a browser and follow the steps. If the email and phone were changed, Facebook may ask you to confirm your identity, including with a photo of your ID.
  • Instagram: go to instagram.com/hacked, or tap Forgot password on the login screen and follow the help for a hacked account. Instagram can send a security code to the email or phone you originally used.
  • Instagram video selfie: for accounts with photos of you, Instagram may ask for a short video selfie to confirm you are the owner.
  • Once back in, open Accounts Center, then Password and security, then Where you're logged in, and remove every session you do not recognise.
  • If a Facebook Page or business account was taken, check Page access and Business settings for new admins and remove them.

X (formerly Twitter)

  1. Reset the password from the login page with Forgot password, using a strong password you have not used before.
  2. If you receive an email from verify@x.com about an email address change you did not make, use the link in that email to reverse it.
  3. Once logged in, open Apps in your settings and revoke access for any third-party app you do not recognise. X notes that changing the password does not automatically log out its iOS and Android apps.
  4. If you still cannot log in, submit a support request through X's Regain access form using the email address linked to the account, and include your username and the date you last had access.

TikTok

Start with Forgot password on the TikTok login screen and reset using the phone number or email on the account. If the hacker changed both, use the support route on TikTok's help page for hacked accounts, which asks for your username and details that prove ownership. Once back in, check the devices listed in the security settings, remove any you do not recognise, and turn on two-step verification.

The clean-up once you are back in

  1. Change the password again from a trusted device, and make it unique to this account.
  2. Sign out of all other sessions and devices.
  3. Turn on two-factor authentication using an authenticator app or passkey instead of text messages.
  4. Check the email address, phone number and recovery options, and remove anything the hacker added.
  5. Remove connected apps and websites you do not recognise.
  6. Delete posts, stories, comments and direct messages the hacker sent, and check for ads or purchases charged to your payment method.
  7. Check linked accounts, such as Instagram connected to Facebook, because a takeover of one often exposes the other.

Warn followers about the scams that come next

Hacked accounts are valuable because your friends trust them. Expect the hacker to have posted crypto giveaways, 'I'm selling my furniture' listings, or investment success stories, and to have messaged friends with 'Is this you in this video?' links or 'I sent a code to your phone by mistake, can you send it back?' requests. That last one is an attempt to take over their account too.

Post a short notice and message close contacts directly. Anyone who received a suspicious message from you can paste it into the scam message checker before clicking anything.

After you post about being hacked, fake 'account recovery specialists' will reply and message you. Platforms do not work through third-party recovery agents, and anyone charging to recover your account is running a scam.

Frequently asked questions

The hacker changed my email and phone number. Can I still recover my account?

Often, yes. Look for the security email sent to your old address, which may let you reverse the change, then use the platform's hacked-account page. Facebook and Instagram can verify identity with ID or a video selfie.

Why did my account get hacked if I have a strong password?

Common causes are a reused password leaked from another site, a phishing login page, a code you were tricked into sharing, a hacked email account, or a SIM swap that let someone receive your text codes.

Should I delete my account after it was hacked?

Recover it first. Deleting a hacked account can leave the hacker's scam posts visible in friends' messages and makes it easier for someone to impersonate you. Secure it, clean it up, then decide.

Is it safe to click the link in the email saying my email was changed?

It can be, but check the sender carefully and prefer typing the platform's address yourself. Criminals also send fake security emails. Going to facebook.com/hacked, instagram.com/hacked or X's help centre directly is safest.

Tools that help

Related guides

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