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I just wanted to ask because I am in a situation now, where I have been locked out of my Instagram due to my mobile phone provider deactivating my Simcard. I have contacted Instagram support sending the images of my face to match my account but they have not replied after 2 weeks.

I was hoping that after my phone number is recycled I could contact the new owner and get them to help me. But from what you guys are discussing it seems people would stereotype me as a hacker. What next steps could I take to declare that I am a normal person or still get access to my inactive sim SMS whilst it is in the recycled mobile phone number pool?

Is there a way to buy back the phone number before it gets allocated to someone else?

Thanks

muchies
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I would recommend that you DO NOT contact the new owner of your previous phone number.

He/she would have no obligation to complete your task, in fact, you will be letting him know that he possesses a huge foothold to your account. You will be relying on how he/she responds, hopefully in good faith, as Instagram allows users to send a login link using their, Email, Phone, or Username. When a username is entered, the link is sent through your email. The screenshot below is taken from instagram.com

Recover your account with Facebook,

  1. Open your Instagram App > "Sign in" > "Forgot Password" on the login screen
  2. There will be a "Reset Using Facebook" option
  3. Sign in with your Facebook account if need be, and if you are already logged into Facebook you will just see a short loading screen.
  4. There will be a "Reset" button after the loading screen. From there on, you will be able to reset your password.

Prerequisites of resetting through Facebook would be that you linked your Instagram account with Facebook prior to this.

Is there a way to buy back the phone number before it gets allocated to someone else?

You might have to loop in your telecom company on this, different telecom handles this differently. Who knows, they might be able to let you use your number to complete the recovery process, but I'm not sure how are you going to let them know that the Instagram account is yours before allowing you to do so.

mallocation
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  • Hi thanks for your help. My current issue is that I have no Facebook account and my Instagram was only linked to my previous phone number. Therefore, when I try the recovery process I’m only given the option to send a SMS to my deactivated number. I’ve sent them a support request form 2 weeks ago now to confirm my identity but haven’t heard back anything. – muchies Jun 10 '20 at 07:27
  • Seems like you have to utilize the option of contacting your telecom then, see if they are able to facilitate with your requests. – mallocation Jun 10 '20 at 07:32
  • Thanks, I was reading around and heard people talking about an SMS lookup. Do you think that this could also be an option? – muchies Jun 10 '20 at 07:41