Instagram Testing an Easier Way of Recovering Hacked Accounts

To offer more assurance in recovering hacked accounts, Facebook-owned messaging app Instagram is testing a new in-app account recovery process.

To control cases where the hackers alter username and contact data linked to the accounts, Instagram is offering a safeguard which would prevent any username from being claimed for a “period of time” after account changes, whether it is a hack or a voluntary change.

As part of the new test process, for recovery, users are being asked to fill in their personal information such as their original email address or phone number and later send them a six-digit code to the contact information of their choice, Engadget reported on Sunday.

The new method is intended to ensure account recovery even if the hacker alters the username and contact information linked to the account.

With this process, the photo-messaging app also intends to prevent hackers from using email or phone number codes to take over accounts from different devices, the report…