Some Instagram accounts are being locked “for safety,” leaving users stuck in recovery loop

Some Instagram users are reporting that their accounts have been locked without warning and placed into a recovery loop that, in most cases, simply doesn’t end.

Users report receiving a notice that their account was locked “for your safety” or flagged for unusual activity. Then they get pushed through a process that sends them in circles: reset password, enter SMS code, confirm identity, get sent back to the recovery screen. Over and over.

One user said they had changed their password six times and nothing helped. Another reported being stuck for a full week. One commenter noted they’d counted 50-plus posts on r/Instagram in a single day, all about the same problem.

People have tried different devices, browsers, VPNs, incognito tabs, clearing cache, reinstalling the app, and nothing breaks the loop. Some aren’t even receiving SMS verification codes, which makes getting past the 2FA step basically impossible. One person tried the selfie verification feature multiple times, including after a fresh shave to match their profile photos, and still couldn’t get through.

Similar complaints also surfaced on X, with users saying Instagram locked their accounts and the password reset process went nowhere.

For some, the trigger seems to be logging in from an unfamiliar location or device, like an incognito tab at work. That’s apparently enough for Instagram to flag the account, kick off the recovery flow, and then leave the user stranded in it.

Meta support not being reachable isn’t helping. One user reportedly paid for Meta Verified just to get access to support, went through multiple phone calls, and still couldn’t get back in. There’s no email or direct contact option for everyone else.

Instagram hasn’t acknowledged the issue publicly as of this writing.

This is a different situation from the login problems we reported back in December, where the main issue was the mobile app silently failing to log users in while browser login still worked. Here, accounts are being actively locked, and the recovery process itself appears to be what’s broken.

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