Instagram is one of the most popular and loved social media platforms globally. It has a lot of fun tools which allow you to share your day and thoughts with thousands of people, upload many aesthetic and trendy pictures, meet new people, and make friends. But there are also some risks to take into consideration in terms of safety and security. It’s important to protect your security on Instagram, as you are providing some personal information which can be “stolen” by the cyber criminals and ruin your safety on Instagram.
So here are some crucial tips to follow if you want to stay safe and secure and only enjoy your time on Instagram.
1.Choose a strong password
One of the first and most important things that you should do to protect your safety on Instagram is choosing strong passwords you can easily remember and in case of forgetting, keep them in a reliable place, available only for you. Your password should contain a combination of letters, numbers and symbols to be fully strong. Strong passwords will also help you avoid being hacked.
2.Enable two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication is an important feature that helps safeguard your account. It requires your login credentials and mobile phone number, every time you want to log in from an unknown device, or if someone wants to enter your account. In this case, if someone has your password, but not a mobile phone, they can’t reach your account, as two-factor authentication would send a one-time code to your phone number, confirm your identity, and then login to an account.
3.Make your account private
When you post to Instagram, everyone on the platform can explore and find your account. If you want to interact only with your followers and with those you follow, make your account private. When your account is private, you need to approve following requests and let new followers see your activity. Other users won’t be able to see what you’re posting on your account. It will protect your account from unwanted ones to interact with your content like photos created with Instasize or video content on the reels section, also they can’t send you messages, write comments, watch stories and do more.
4.Be careful with location settings
If you are posting photos or videos in your account, including the Stories section, Instagram has a feature to add your location, whenever you are or have taken this content. But be careful with sharing your location, because through your location information people can know where you are, and in some cases it can cause safety issues. Whether you want to keep your personal life or you just don’t want to share your location with other users, go to settings and turn off location sharing settings, or just don’t add it on every post you share.
5.Block, Restrict or Report accounts
Instagram has features like blocking, restricting and reporting accounts that you don’t want to interact with or you just noticed harassment, abuse or unpleasant content or accounts on your feed. You are able to block accounts which you notice have suspicious activity or they’re bothering you. After blocking they won’t be able to even search your account. Restricting will restrain their activities with your account, and reported accounts will be reviewed by Instagram and decide to close the account if the reasons are well-grounded. These actions will maximally protect your account from undesirable actions from other users.
Conclusion
Keeping your safety and security on social media today seems very challenging. But if you follow these tips carefully and be attentive while using the app, you will not face problems like hacking, disturbing or similar. Choose strong passwords and turn on two-factor authentication, be careful with your personal information, and don’t be afraid to block users who can distract your safety. Instagram gives all the opportunities to protect your privacy, the rest is up to you.
