In September 2024, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined Meta €91 million ($101.56 million) for storing millions of Facebook and Instagram passwords in plaintext. This exposed at least 600 million users worldwide to possible account takeovers.
If you suspect your Instagram password has been compromised, you’ll want to change it immediately. But what if you forgot your Instagram password? Below, we show you the easiest way to reset your Instagram password – and the best way to keep it safe from cybercriminals.
Step-by-step guide to recovering your forgotten Instagram password
If you haven’t signed up for a free LastPass account, you’ll have to reset or change your Instagram password manually.
To do this, you’ll need to click on “Forgot password?” on the login screen or page. Next, enter your username, phone number, or email account address and click “Send login link.” Instagram will send a password reset link to the email or phone number you provided.
If you signed up for Instagram with your Facebook account:
- Choose “Log in with Facebook.”
- Enter your email (or phone number) and Facebook password, then click “Log in.”
- Once you’re in, head to your Instagram profile and click on “Edit profile.”
- On the left menu, tap “Password and Security” under Accounts Center.
- Click “Change Password.”
- Enter your old password and your new password twice.
- Tap “Change Password” to complete the update.
Protecting Your Instagram Password with LastPass
Creating a LastPass account and installing the browser extension
Installing the LastPass browser extension streamlines your interaction with websites that require login credentials. Instead of hunting for passwords, you’ll enjoy faster checkouts when banking or shopping online. The extension automatically fills in your credentials to the right websites only, which means you’re protected from phishing, keylogging, and shoulder surfing.
To download the LastPass browser extension, head to the LastPass downloads page and select “Download” for your desired extension.
Importance of generating a strong master password
A strong master password is essential because it serves as the gateway to your vault. If attackers successfully crack your master password, your exposed credentials can leave you vulnerable to unauthorized access and identity theft.
Attackers may:
- Sell your stolen credentials on the Dark Web – cryptocurrency and payment processing credentials fetch the highest prices.
- Use your login info to perpetrate other attacks. In November 2024, attackers used stolen credentials to swipe 40GB of data from Schneider Electric’s JIRA platform. They also demanded $125,000 to not leak the data.
- Make unauthorized money transfers, draining your accounts of cash. Attackers are increasingly targeting peer-to-peer payment platforms like Zelle, Cash App, and Venmo. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission received 65,000 complaints about P2P fraud payments, with consumers suffering $210 million in losses.
Tips for Maintaining a Secure Instagram Account
Enabling two-factor authentication for extra security
To enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Instagram account:
- Go to Profile > Edit Profile > Accounts Center > Password and Security
- Select “Two-Factor Authentication” under “Login & Recovery.”
- Choose your preferred method to receive a security code: SMS text or authenticator app. Either Duo Mobile or Google Authenticator is recommended because they allow you to connect multiple devices to your account.
- Follow the prompts to set up 2FA.
Knowing when to update your Instagram password
For 2024 and beyond, cybersecurity experts are recommending against frequent password resets. According NIST, consumers should first prioritize length in creating passwords.
Second, they should only update their passwords after a known security breach or compromise.
Avoiding common password mistakes
To create a strong Instagram account password, you’ll want to avoid:
- Using the same passwords for all your accounts (password reuse)
- Creating easily guessed passwords like passw@rd123! or qwerty6789!
- Using compromised passwords from other breaches
- Not using NIST best practices for creating strong passwords
- Not using a password manager to generate robust credentials and monitor their “health”
Weak, reused passwords can be leveraged by attackers to gain access to your social media, banking, and email accounts.
And if you have smart appliances, the effect can be devastating. In 2019, a hacker managed to gain access to a couple’s Google Nest smart home appliances. Once in, they changed thermostat settings at will, played vulgar music, and hijacked the Nest security camera. The root of the problem? Compromised passwords.
Utilizing LastPass to manage multiple Instagram accounts
With LastPass, you can generate as many secure passwords as needed for multiple Instagram accounts. And you can do this easily and quickly with our free, secure password generator.
Once you’ve generated the passwords, you can store it in your personally encrypted vault – keeping them safe from attackers with malicious intent.
Why LastPass is the Best Password Manager for Instagram
Introduction to LastPass and its features
LastPass is an award-winning password manager that provides a Secure-by-Design vault for all your passwords.
And that’s not all: you only need one master password to access your vault, and it can store much more than login credentials. This includes:
- credit card/banking info
- digital copies of your driver’s license, passport, COVID-19 vaccination card, Social Security card, and will
- tax, investment, and mortgage information
- subscription service info
- home, auto, and health insurance info
And no matter what life throws at you, LastPass protects you with:
- Emergency Access, which lets you retrieve health information for spouses, children, and aging parents during a crisis
- Autofill, which automates your logins to shopping, ecommerce, and other platforms, so you’re never locked out of your accounts again. In addition, LastPass won’t autofill passwords on scam websites, so you’re protected from phishing attempts and account takeovers.
How LastPass can generate and securely store your Instagram password
Strong passwords are your first line of defense against unauthorized access, and we make it easy to create them with our free password generator.
In addition, you can keep all your login credentials secure in your LastPass vault, a digital fortress with AES-CBC-256 encryption and 600,000 iterations of PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA-256 hashing + salting.
Benefits of using LastPass for password management
With LastPass, password management becomes simple, secure, and frictionless. If you’ve saved your Instagram password in your vault:
- You'll never have to initiate another password reset – our Autofill feature securely inputs your credentials every time you log in to Instagram.
- You can access your Instagram password across all your devices, anytime, anywhere, with our automatic device sync -- so you get Instagram access whether you’re on vacation, at work, waiting for a flight, or at home.
FAQ
How do I reset my IG password if I forgot it?
If you forgot your IG password, check your password vault or reset it manually by clicking “Forgot password?” on the IG login page.
How do you find your Instagram password?
Check to see if your Instagram password is saved in your password vault, iPhone/ Android settings, or Chrome browser. To protect user privacy and security, Instagram doesn’t allow the viewing of passwords directly within the Instagram app.
How to change Instagram password on PC?
To change your Instagram password on a PC, head to Settings > Accounts Center > Password and Security > Change password.
What's a good password for Instagram?
A good Instagram password should follow the newest NIST guidelines:
- Be sufficiently long and random
- At least 15 characters in length
- Incorporate ASCII, Unicode, or the space characters
- Never be reused
- Generated by a password manager
