So if you are reading this page, you have been locked out of your Instagram page with an error that says something like this….
So it happened to me. At first I wondered if someone had hacked into my page because I certainly hadn’t broken any one of their standards that should get you banned.
I know that nothing you use for free is really yours, but after all that time of adding photos one by one to show your wedding photography work to potential future brides and grooms, you don’t want that to go to waste!
Going onto Instagram’s Twitter or Facebook page and complaining about losing your Instagram page will not work. After all they have thousands of people messaging them everyday about random stuff.
See that notice above when you try to log in on your phone? There is a little button saying learn more, click that and then there is a bunch of text about their standards and a little link that says click if you think it is a mistake. Click on this as it is probably just that the Instagram algorithm has been overzealous.
You will then come to a form where you have to fill in your details – first you have click if you are a business or not, then enter name and Instagram handle and email linked with account and what part of the world you are based…. then at the bottom it asks you to add documents but the attachment doesn’t work (!) so ignore and tick the box (yes I know it says that you will not get any further help if you haven’t attached any documents but trust me!). Strangely the form you submit on your phone doesn’t have the section on appealing the decision that this form you can find in their help centre.
Next stage, and breathe!
You should get an automated email …. if you don’t see the email in your inbox within 24 hours or so, submit the form again.
Do what the email tells you.
What? Take a photo of yourself holding with a piece of paper with your handwritten Instagram handle, your full name and the number code they sent?
Yep.
Reply back to the email with that photo.
If you don’t hear back, you could reply to the email and ask politely for an update. You won’t get an email back, but it helps to jump the email back to the top of the pile which I imagine would be huge.
If nothing happens, and you still can’t log back into your Instagram page submit the form again. I submitted the form many times, and had to send a photo (twice).
Day 4 I got a different automated email to submit some business details. I submitted a copy of my docs with my tax number removed for safety – I didn’t know who would be viewing this information the other end!
Day 7: I had an automated email to say sorry for the inconvenience but my Instagram page was back – hurrah!
So how long will it take your Instagram page to come back? I have read some reports online from others of 24 hours, 3 days and even up to 8 weeks so nobody knows. Good luck!
Some people say to report the page as being hacked, as it might get your page back quicker, but if it hasn’t been hacked you might just be referred back to the Instagram page above.
Plus side of having no Instagram? I had a week of internet detox which isn’t necessary a bad thing!
