Instagram is trying to make it easier to recover a hacked account

Instagram is one of the most popular social networks out there, which makes some profiles a prime target for hacking. And unfortunately for some account owners, the current state of security on the platform doesn’t make it easy to get a hacked profile back. But Instagram is looking to change that.

Engadget is reporting that Instagram is currently testing new ways for account owners to reclaim a hacked account. More than that, though, these changes are also meant to make the actual hacking of an account harder, too. And these are in-app options, which should make the process of securing an account a bit easier and more manageable.

Instagram’s idea is to shift away from email correspondence or support forms, instead relying on answering specific questions from within the app. That includes offering up important information tied to the account, like the original email address associated with it, or the phone number tied to the account.

Fill out the information and Instagram will send out a six-digit code to the device of your choice. Once that’s done, Instagram will then prevent hackers from using an email code or phone number from breaking into your account through a different device.

Building upon that, Instagram is also a safeguard that will make sure a user name cannot be claimed after a certain amount of time after any account changes. This will be in place for whether an account is illegally accessed, or if it’s a voluntary change on the owner’s part.

The user name “lockdown” is available beginning now for Android users, and it’s rolling out to iOS users soon. However, it remains unknown at this point when the in-app recovery options will make a widespread debut.

This won’t stop hackers from trying, and succeeding, to gain access to some accounts on the social network. However, Instagram is trying to not only prevent it, but also make it easier to get an account back even if it is hacked.