Instagram provides reliable protection of personal information for each user and safeguards pages from hacking. First and foremost, the security of the account depends on the owner. If you enable an additional level of identification, it is unlikely that outsiders will be able to use your data. Today, we will talk about two-factor authentication on Instagram, the rules for disabling, enabling, and using it.
What is it and why is it needed?
Like any other digital content platform, the service attracts scammers and malicious actors. The platform strives to provide reliable protection and supports all modern encryption standards, but if you don’t take precautions, the risk of hacking will increase sharply.
When logging into your personal page through the mobile application or social network website, enter your login and password. If you provide incorrect information, access to your account will be denied. This is the first step in security. The second step is two-factor authentication of the account. The feature is available to all registered users. It should be noted that it is initially turned off, so to strengthen the protection, you need to activate it in the utility settings panel.
What is it for? This method of authorization is implemented to increase security and protect personal information of profiles on Instagram. How it works:
- Launch the mobile application or website on the internet.
- Enter the login and password for your account.
- The system will send an SMS message with a special code to your mobile device.
- It is necessary to enter it in the login menu as confirmation.
Thus, third parties who do not have access to your phone will not be able to log into your Instagram account.
Enabling two-factor authentication on Instagram
After the first launch of the mobile application and registration of a new account, this service will be disabled. You will have to activate it manually in the settings panel. It should be noted that the steps are completely similar for different smartphone models and operating systems. The algorithm difference may only be in the location of the main control elements and the names of buttons and indicators.
With the latest update of the social network, users have access to two types of two-factor authentication: via SMS notification to a mobile device or through additional applications. Below we will consider the steps to activate each method of protection.
Via SMS message
This is the most common way to confirm the identity of the account owner. Every time you log in to your personal page, the system will send a special code to your smartphone, which you need to enter in the authorization menu. Only then will access be granted. It should be noted that your account must be linked to an up-to-date and active mobile phone number, otherwise the service will not work. Let’s consider the steps:
- Launch the mobile application on your smartphone.
- Enter your personal information in the authorization menu – login and password.
- Click on the button in the form of a silhouette of a person on the bottom panel of the workspace.
- Click on the icon in the form of three horizontal lines at the top of the display.
- A secondary menu will appear, click on the settings tab at the bottom.
- In the list that appears, select the security option.
- Turn on the two-factor identification indicator and confirm your actions by clicking “Start”.
- The system will offer you a choice of verification methods, check the SMS notification box.
- Save the changes. If your account is not linked to a mobile phone number, you will need to provide one.
After that, when you log in to your page again, the security system will ask you to enter the confirmation code from the SMS notification, otherwise access will be denied. This is especially important for business accounts and users who conduct commercial activities on the platform.
Through a mobile application
In the future, to log in to your account, you will need to obtain a security code in a special application. The procedure for activating two-factor authentication is as follows:
- Open the social network through the mobile application and log in to your personal page.
- Go to the system settings section and select the data security option.
- Find two-factor authentication and activate it.
- Choose the confirmation method – through an additional application.
- After that, the service will offer to download the Google Authenticator utility to your mobile device from the official software store Play Market. Follow the instructions and tips on the screen.
- Go to the downloaded application, enter the login and password for the Instagram account, and synchronize the page.
- Click on the security key generation button.
- A unique combination will be displayed on the screen, which you can use to access your personal page on the service.
Disabling two-factor authentication on Instagram
There are also cases when a user wants to deactivate additional protection of their personal information. To do this, you just need to follow a few simple steps:
- Launch Instagram on your phone and log in to your account.
- Go to your profile page and open the settings section on the right-hand side of the workspace.
- Select the privacy and security tab.
- Find the two-factor authentication option and turn off the toggle switch.
- Save the changes.
From now on, to access your account, you just need to enter your login and password. Developers do not recommend disabling this function, as it can protect your profile from hacking and restrict access to it from unauthorized persons.
The article explains what two-factor authentication is on Instagram, how to activate or deactivate it on a mobile device, and why it is necessary. This feature can minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your profile and hacking by scammers. However, the security of your profile primarily depends on you, so do not give your passwords to third parties and do not leave your smartphone unattended.