The social network Instagram is developing towards total control and safety. Developers have implemented two-factor authentication, learned to remember the mobile device where authorization has already been performed, so passwords and logins no longer need to be entered. Even statistics on the geographical location and all recent actions have appeared, but hacking Instagram pages still remains a problem. Why, even under such conditions, everything remains the same – this is a reason to start an investigation!
What methods exist for hacking?
Automatic services that can unlock access to someone else’s profile with 100% certainty, even for a serious sum of money, have not yet been invented. All the work and questions about “how to hack someone’s account” remain the responsibility of a hacker-enthusiast who has decided to experiment and access confidential information of friends, bloggers, or celebrities with millions of followers.
To achieve the desired result, one will have to try many things, from phishing and tracking to password resets and even contacting customer support. And the amount of time that will have to be spent is indescribable, but if you’re going to take the risk, then go big!
What is phishing – password hacking
Internet scammers have long learned to intercept other people’s confidential information – logins and passwords – not with the help of clever software that automatically selects the necessary values for Login and Password text fields, but thanks to the carelessness of social media and messenger page owners.
The entire principle of classic phishing is based on a kind of “substitution”, when instead of the official page of an online store, social network, or information service, a link to a fake page is given to the victim, where supposedly it is necessary to go through authorization to identify their identity (otherwise, “the administration will block the profile”) or to access “prizes won in a drawing”. If the victim enters confidential information on the fake page, all the data will immediately end up with the fraudster.
You can even hack an Instagram page using phishing without exceptional programming skills. It is enough to register on the Z-Shadow service and go to the section with available offers (social networks, messengers, MMORPG) and copy the link to the English version of Instagram. Then – the copied URL remains to be sent to acquaintances or random users on the network with the message – “like or write a comment”.
When clicking on the link, the victim will have to complete the authorization, and then the confidential information will end up on the Z-Shadow pages, where the entire list of collected data will appear in the “TotalVictim” section.
Hacking Instagram account through tracking application
Besides phishing, there are also special programs for hacking Instagram accounts that can obtain passwords, even without knowledge, experience, or skill, allowing access to other people’s pages and accessing their messages and personal information. This is called tracking – surveillance services that are installed on the victim’s phone and transmit important coordinates discovered during operation to email, FTP, or messengers. There are many such helpers to choose from, but here are the ones that have stood the test of time:
MSpy
A classic representative of the genre with paid, but balanced and optimized functionality. The principle of MSpy’s operation is described by developers in three steps: purchasing access to the software, downloading the necessary version (for iOS or Android) to a PC, configuring the necessary parameters (what to monitor – likes, personal messages, viewed topics), and then adding the prepared application to the victim’s mobile device. After that, all that’s left is to wait. MSpy will tell you everything in the same second not only about the Instagram page, but also about other details – the victim’s location on the map, keystrokes, and phone calls made.
Spyzie
An alternative method focused on hacking social media accounts using standard tracking. As with the competitor above, preparation is necessary – registering, selecting the appropriate version, and focusing on the things that need to be tracked.
Next, the software needs to be downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet, and the necessary data collected in real-time. In the realm of social media, everything works incredibly easily. Once the victim enters the combination for the Login and Password fields, the result is already on the screen.
Flexi-Spy
A program that allows hacking Apple devices (requires Jailbreak), Android smartphones and tablets, and even computers. The principle of operation is similar – subscription payment, setup (access to special consultants who can remotely install for $10), download and installation. The advantages include balanced prices, a lot of advice and recommendations, and even full Russian localization, which significantly facilitates the process.
Hacking someone else’s profile by trickery – forgot the password
The archive method of hacking Instagram pages no longer works (the social network administration has taken care of additional protection), but in some situations it can still reveal the password. The trick only works if the victim’s username is already known:
- After launching the mobile version of the social network (it also works on computers, but less frequently than on smartphones and tablets), log out and go to the authorization window.
- Next, enter the login in the “Username” field (or Username depending on the version of Instagram), and then click on the “Forgot password” button.
- As a result of these actions, the social network will offer to enter a mobile phone number to receive a code and necessary information to restore the password. Of course, you should enter your own number, and SMS will guide you on what to do next.
The above describes how to hack Instagram without phishing and tracking, but it is still not advisable to rely on a 100% result.
This trick is only supported by a few versions of the social network client and more often than not, instead of entering a new phone number, the system adds the existing information attached to the profile.
Main signs of hacking: what to do
It is easy to detect a hacked Instagram account. The social network will almost immediately start hinting at suspicious activity through pop-up notifications. In some situations, there will be a message about authorization from an unexpected location (a neighboring region, an unknown IP address), and sometimes the system will hint at an unsafe and easily guessed password that needs to be changed. In slightly more complex scenarios, hacking is accompanied by problems during login and password entry. The hacked page will become inaccessible or frozen by the administration.
How to enhance the protection of your Instagram profile
There are several ways to increase the security of your personal page, and not all of them are related to a complex password and an unpredictable login with a complicated combination of letters, numbers, and allowed symbols:
- Accuracy and honesty. When filling out your profile, it is worth relying on truthful information that is easy to remember. Control questions, mobile phone number – even after hacking, there will be a chance to restore everything by contacting support and demonstrating facts.
- Email. Although the domestic Mail.ru service has long offered help in setting up email, it is better to turn to a competitor – Gmail. This significantly reduces the chances of encountering problems.
- Two-factor authentication. In the “Settings” section, there has long been a special item providing for the transmission of backup codes via SMS, which must be entered when authorizing from an unknown device or in a new location. This way, scammers will definitely stay away – it is almost impossible to access SMS.
- Additional binding. If, in addition to Instagram, you have also registered a profile on Facebook, why not link the profiles together, thus increasing the chances of avoiding deception.
- No links. iPhone giveaways, mythical voting, strange appeals from friends related to likes and comments – do not click on links regardless of the context! Especially if after clicking, there is an offer to complete authorization, and the domain (website name in the browser) does not match Instagram.
And also – it is worth trusting services from Google or Apple more often, which provide for storing logins and passwords in a special secure environment – in cloud storages iCloud and GoogleDrive, which are much more difficult to access even with a strong desire!
Hacking an Instagram account is becoming increasingly difficult every year. Developers have long taken care of half of the vulnerabilities, and savvy social media page owners have taken care of the rest, deciding to take care of confidential information.
It is too early to give up, in addition to clever encryption algorithms that provide a serious level of security, one should not forget about banal carelessness. Phishing and tracking still reliably feed enthusiasts and experimenters and provide almost unrestricted access to other people’s pages.