We will explain how to configure your Meta social network account to recover both the Facebook and Instagram accounts. In this way, you can regain control if you forget your password or it has been hacked.
We will explain to you what options you can configure to prevent so that if something goes wrong, you have other resources to recover the account. And in addition, we will also include tricks so that you do not lose data if you lose the account.
How we are going to do this is to give you the tips and general steps that you must follow, and in each of these steps, we will tell you how to do it on both Facebook and Instagram. We will try to explain things to you in a summarized way, but in a way you can understand.
Download regular backups
Before we start, the most important thing is that if you lose access to your account, you do not lose all your data, such as your publications and photos. To do this, Facebook and Instagram allow you to download all the data from your account. You will always have the latest copies of your photos and conversations or publications on your computer by doing it periodically.
To download a backup of all your data on Instagram, you have to enter your account’s Privacy and security options, either from the app settings or this link. Once inside, click the Request download option in the Data download section.
You will go through a simple process. First, you have to write your email and say if you want to download the copy in HTML format so that it is readable from any browser or in JSON. Then, simply write your account password, and when you do, they will tell you that they will send you a copy of your data in a maximum of 48 hours to the email that belongs to your account.
To download a backup of all your data on Facebook, you must enter your account settings from the application and the web or directly from this link. Once inside the settings, click on the Your Facebook information section in the left column.
In the Your Facebook information section, click the Download your information option. This will take you to a screen where you can choose the copy format and the quality in which you want to download your multimedia content: photos and videos. You can then choose a date range to be just the latest posts or straight from the beginning.
Below is a list where you can choose what content you create to download since you may not be interested in things like surveys and events. You can download many contents, and when you have everything, click on the Request download button at the bottom.
Update and save your password
One of the best ways to prevent your account from being hacked is to change your password occasionally; each time you do so, make sure to create a strong password. Come on, no dates or names of people or pets.
And so you do not forget these new and brand new passwords, the best and recommended thing is to use a password manager. They are programs where you store all the passwords you can install on your mobile through their apps or the browser to access them. These programs will detect when you change a browser password and allow you to easily update each account file with the new one.
To change your password on Facebook, enter the settings and go to the Security and Login section. Here, you will have the option to Change the password visible, having to write the current and the new one you want. When you write them, the same website will tell you if it is a secure password.
To change your password on Instagram, you have to enter the settings of your website, and you will see a Change Password section in the left column. This will take you to the page where you must write your current one and put the new one twice.
Activate two-step verification
Now we move on to the most important measure to prevent them from hacking your account: activating two-step verification. Two-step verification is a system with which it is no longer enough to enter your password to enter your account; you will need a second step to confirm your identity unequivocally, which is through a key provided by a two-step verification application or the service itself via SMS or email.
To activate two-step verification on Facebook, you have to enter the settings and go to the Security and Login section. Here, you will have the option to Use two-step authentication visible, where you have to click on Edit. This will take you to a screen where you can manage the verification method you want to use.
To activate two-step verification on Instagram, you have to enter the settings of your website or your mobile app. Here, go to the Privacy and Security section in the left column, and you will see the option to Edit two-step authentication settings, this will take you to the screen where you can activate the verification by SMS or with the authentication app.
Set up your phone and email.
Here we are going to get into something controversial. It is possible that for privacy, you do not want to give Meta data such as your email or your phone number. But if you forget your password or want to access your account, you can indicate your phone or email in addition to the username, and with the option that you have forgotten your password, they will send you a temporary one.
You do not need to write both the email and the phone, but having one of these two details added to your account to recover it if you have lost the password is useful.
Link your Facebook and Instagram accounts
Meta offers you the option to sync your Facebook and Instagram accounts. This will help you to synchronize information such as the name or profile photo but also to be able to log in to one account from the other. You will do it from the Meta Account Center website. Simply add your Facebook and Instagram accounts, and in Accounts click on one of them and choose the option to Synchronize profile information to link both.
Now, within the Meta Account Center, under Sign in with accounts, you will be able to configure the login of your Instagram or Facebook account with the other, as long as they are linked to your Meta profile.
Recover hacked account
And if all this has not helped you and your Facebook account has been hacked, you have a procedure to recover it. You have to enter the website Facebook.com/hacked, which is the help in case of hacking. On this page, you can choose the option of Someone has entered my account without my permission or another case, and you will be guided in the steps to take to recover it
In this process, you will have to write your email or phone number and be asked to log in with your current password or one of the previous ones you have used in case a hacker has changed them. You can also send an SMS or email to your linked account to regain control of the mail.
And if the attacker has changed this, you can No longer have access. Which will check if you’re connecting from a device you’ve used before, including the browser you’re using, to verify it’s you and return control of the account to you.
And if your Instagram account has been hacked, then you have to go to the official website and the app, and click on the option Have you forgotten your password? that appears below the fields to start the session.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
