Did Instagram disable your account for no reason? Luckily for you, I’ve had my account deactivated twice and I managed to get it back in just 3 days! In this post, I will show you how to recover a disabled Instagram account fast!
“Why Instagram disabled my account for no reason?”
My Story: I got my Instagram disabled and reinstated back in 3 days
On March 13, 2021, Instagram disabled my account for “impersonating someone else”. I was shocked that I couldn’t log into my Instagram account but after hearing stories from 30 other people (and brands) who managed to recover their Instagram accounts I felt hopeful. 3 days and multiple reports later (including a “mugshot” photo), I had my Instagram account back.
2023 Update: Instagram launched Instagram.com/Hacked – a special page for those who have log-in issues or had their Instagram account disabled.
Common reasons why your Instagram account is disabled
Below is a summary of the main reasons people had their Instagram accounts suspended, deactivated, or disabled.
1. Suspected Identity Fraud
Why this happens: Instagram will temporary deactivate your account if someone lodges a report claiming that you’re pretending to be someone else. You will be locked from logging into your account for 48 hours, and after that when you try to log in you will be asked to submit a proof of your identity (ID/mugshot) for verification.
What can you do: Avoid using “stolen” photos, or images of other people on Instagram without having their permission. Only post original content that you own and you should be fine.
2. Copyright issues
Why this happens: Instagram will deactivate your account if you’re sharing copyrighted materials. This includes photos copied or reposted from other accounts (such as photographers, brands or influencers) as well as images with brand logos that you don’t own. People can lodge a copyright report with Instagram and your account will be deactivated until you show proof that you own those disputed images, videos or sounds.
What can you do: Always ask for permission to repost photos from other users, and if you don’t get it then post original content only.
3. Violating the Instagram Terms and Conditions
Why it happens: When you post content that goes against the Instagram guidelines you will get shadow banned or permanently suspended. It can be anything from promoting products without using the hashtag #ad, using Instagram to scam people in DMs, buying fake followers, using bots and unapproved third-party apps, or Sharing “controversial content”, political content or content that includes violence, racism, profanity, exploiting minors etc.
What can you do: This is the most severe violation on Instagram. If you get permanently banned, you may not be able to recover your account or create a new Instagram account. Get familiar with the list of Instagram controversial content so you don’t accidentally post it.
4. Suspicios spammer/bot activity
Why this happens: If the Instagram AI finds inconsistency in your posting frequency (eg. you suddenly post 50 posts, commenting on 100 posts in 1 hour, sending 100 DMs a day) it can block your account temporarily on the suspicion you’re a bot.
What you can do: After the suspension period (48 hours) you will be asked for identification proof. This is to ensure you’re a genuine person and not a bot. Keep in mind to act like a real person, and not a spammer.
These are just a few common things that can lead to your Instagram being deactivated. But usually Instagram won’t tell which policy you violated and you’re left guessing “What did I do wrong” during the first 24/48 hours when you’re locked out of your account.
What can you do if your Instagram was deactivated?
There’s a few things you can do if your Instagram was deactivated.
- Keep calm
- Wait for 24-48 hours for the temporary ban to lift
- Try to log into your Instagram account
- Lodge an Appeal from the log-in page
- Visit Instagram/hacked to get help with log-in issues
My Story: How I recovered my disabled Instagram account fast
This is a story of how Instagram deactivated my business account in 2022 for impersonating someone else.
In the next section, I am sharing a timeline of all the actions I did to recover my disabled Instagram account in hope that it may give you more clarity on what steps you can take to appeal if your account was disabled too.
*Disclaimer: Please take note that everyone’s situation is different and what worked for me may not necessarily work for you. IMPORTANT: I am not working for Instagram, nor do I know anyone who works there and is able to help you recover your page.
DAY 1: My account was deactivated
Ohh, the agony and despair of not knowing why my Instagram account was disabled.
I was minding my day when I tried to open the Instagram app and was asked to submit my phone number as verification. I found it very suspicious, but proceeded to enter my phone number. I also took this screenshot just in case.
After typing the verification code sent to my phone, I was greeted with another message saying that my account is under review and I am banned from using the app for 24 hours. This made me really annoyed! So I tried to log in again. Every time I tried to log in, I saw the same message:
“Thank you for providing your info. We’ll review it and if we can confirm it, you’ll be able to request a review in the Help Centre within 24 hours.”
“This is no good”, I thought. But I have seen other Instagram influencers share that their accounts were also blocked for 24h and managed to get them back. So I just took the day off and went outside for a walk and do some errands. I hoped that it will all go away the next day.
DAY 2 – My Instagram was still disabled but I was able to send a report
The next day came and I was still not able to log into my Instagram account. I also noticed that my account disappeared from the Instagram search as if it never existed.
Naturally, I did what everyone else would do in this situation: I turned to my personal Instagram profile to inform my friends, clients and relatives that my business page was deactivated.
Now after about 24 + hours of waiting, I tried to log in again and this time I was able to request a review of my Instagram account.
Here are the Appeal Forms I filled up:
After 24 hours, when I tried to log into my account I saw an option to submit an appeal form. And that’s what I did.
*Note: I submitted these forms using 3 different emails (and around 6 times each) because I couldn’t remember which email I used to create my Instagram account. I also never received any confirmation from Instagram that they’re getting my emails.
Eventually, I received a reply from the Instagram team on the last email address I submitted after a few days.
If you believe your account has been inadvertently disabled for impersonating someone else, you can also fill up these forms:
1. https://help.instagram.com/contact/16…
2. https://help.instagram.com/contact/60…
*Pro tip: When you submit the appeal form, they’ll ask you if your account is personal or for business. I suggest you tick the personal account option (even if your account is a business account) – because it’s a faster process with less information needed. This is what ultimately worked for me!
DAY 3 – after 72 hours, finally some good news: Instagram replied!
On the evening of day 3, I finally received an email from the Instagram Team with guidelines on how to recover my account.
They asked me to email a photo of myself holding a white piece of paper with my name, username and a code they provided in the email they sent to me.
30 minutes later, I send the verification and people started messaging me that all of a sudden my Instagram business account was back LIVE!
I did it! My account was back on! Phew!
So this is the story of how I recovered my disabled Instagram account fast
I am happy to have my Instagram account back, but I still have no answer to the question: “What did I do wrong that Instagram had decided to banish me from the app I love so much?“
Hope this helps you if you are facing a similar issue! While I cannot guarantee that if you follow this method Instagram will reinstate your account. But it’s worth a try!
I also shared my experience in this YouTube video:
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