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🔓 Account Hacked? How to Get It Back, Platform by Platform
Where to start for each major platform, what to lock down first, and the scams that target people who are locked out.
Quick answer: Start from the platform’s own recovery page, and type the address yourself. Recovery is free on every major service. Secure your email account first, because it can reset everything else. Anyone who charges to get an account back, or answers your post offering help, is almost certainly a scammer BBB via News4JAX (16 Nov 2023).
What should I do first?
- Use a clean device. If the hack may have come from malware, recover from another phone or computer. Microsoft suggests a full antivirus scan before you change the password Microsoft Support.
- Take back your email first. Password resets for every other account land there. If the attacker still holds it, they can undo each fix you make.
- Change the password, then sign out everywhere. Most services list active sessions and devices in their security settings. Remove any you do not recognise.
- Check what the attacker changed. Look at the recovery phone, recovery email, forwarding rules and automatic replies. Microsoft names forwarding and auto-replies as things to review Microsoft Support.
- Turn on two-step sign-in or a passkey. An app or a passkey is stronger than a text code; our SIM swap guide explains why.
- Warn your contacts. Hijacked accounts are used to message friends with fake emergencies, investment tips or crypto offers.
Where do I start on each platform?
| Service | Start here | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Google / Gmail | accounts.google.com/signin/recovery | Answer from a device and place you normally use. Wrong guesses do not lock you out. There is no phone line for sign-in help Google Account Help. |
| Microsoft / Outlook | Reset your password from the sign-in page; use the account recovery form if that fails | Scan your PC first. Afterwards, review connected accounts, forwarding and automatic replies Microsoft Support. |
| Apple Account | iforgot.apple.com | If you cannot reset the password, account recovery can take several days. Apple says its support staff can’t shorten the wait. Using a signed-in device cancels the request Apple Support. |
| facebook.com/hacked | Meta can check a video selfie against your profile pictures instead of asking for ID NBC Washington (28 Dec 2024). | |
| instagram.com/hacked | One page for hacked accounts, forgotten passwords and impersonation reports APH Networks (15 Dec 2022). | |
| X | Password reset form, then X’s hacked-account help page | Reset links expire. A “Locked out!” message usually clears in about an hour, so stop requesting resets X Help Center. |
If the attacker changed both your recovery email and phone, expect the identity check to take longer. Keep using the same device and network while you wait.
How do account recovery scams work?
People locked out of an account search for help, and scammers are waiting. The Better Business Bureau has collected reports of fake companies that charge a fee, then keep raising it, and never restore anything BBB via News4JAX (16 Nov 2023).
- Fake “recovery experts” reply to posts about hacked accounts. Some claim to be ethical hackers.
- Fake platform staff warn that someone is buying through your account, then ask for bank or payment app details. One victim lost money from the account they shared BBB via News4JAX (16 Nov 2023).
- Identity thieves ask you to “verify” through a government site. One person who did later found a fraudulent tax return filed in their name BBB via News4JAX (16 Nov 2023).
The BBB’s rule is simple: “Never pay someone to recover your social media account” BBB via News4JAX (16 Nov 2023). Imposter scams drew more than a million reports to the FTC in 2025, the most of any category FTC testimony via Crowdfund Insider (25 Mar 2026).
How do I stop it happening again?
- Use a different password on every account, stored in a password manager. Check old ones with our Pwned Passwords checker.
- Prefer passkeys or an authenticator app to text codes.
- Save backup codes somewhere offline. They are often the fastest way back in.
- Remove apps you no longer use from each account’s connected-apps list.
- Lock your phone number with your carrier, so nobody can move it to their SIM. See our SIM swap guide.
If the hacker used your details to open accounts or borrow money, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. Report the scam itself at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recover a hacked Gmail account?
Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and answer the questions from a device and place you normally use. Wrong guesses do not lock you out. Google has no phone line for sign-in help.
Can I call Instagram or Facebook to get my account back?
No. Meta handles hacked accounts through instagram.com/hacked and facebook.com/hacked. Phone numbers offering Meta support are usually scams.
Should I pay someone to recover my hacked account?
No. Every major platform's recovery process is free. The Better Business Bureau says never to pay someone to recover a social media account.
How long does Apple account recovery take?
It can take several days or longer. Apple says its support staff can't shorten the wait, and using a device signed in to the account cancels the request.
What should I secure first after a hack?
Your email account. Password resets for everything else are sent there, so an attacker who still controls it can undo your other fixes.
How do I know if my account is still compromised?
Check the active sessions and devices list, the recovery phone and email, and any forwarding rules or automatic replies. Remove anything you did not set up.