6.2M records in January 2026. Check whether your email is in this file — then read what was taken and what to do.
6.2M
Records exposed
2026
Year
5
Data types
Free
To check
Quick answer — was Instagram breached?
Yes. Instagram was breached in January 2026, exposing 6,215,150 records including display names, email addresses, geographic locations. This breach has been independently verified. If your email was involved, your data may still be at risk today. Check if you were affected.
What happened in the Instagram data breach?
In January 2026, data allegedly scraped via an Instagram API was posted to a popular hacking forum. The dataset contained 17M rows of public Instagram information, including usernames, display names, account IDs, and in some cases, geolocation data. Of these records, 6.2M included an associated email address, and some also contained a phone number. The scraped data appears to be unrelated to password reset requests initiated on the platform, despite coinciding in timeframe. There is no evidence that passwords or other sensitive data were compromised.
The exposed data included 5 types of personal information. Learn more about what a data breach means for you.
Why was the Instagram breach so dangerous?
The Instagram breach exposed 6,215,150 records — 6.2M people whose personal data is now circulating in criminal markets.
If you used Instagram, check whether your email was exposed in this breach.
What data was stolen in the Instagram breach?
Display names — used to build profiles and target you with personalised scams
Email addresses — used for phishing attacks and credential stuffing against your other accounts
Geographic locations — may be combined with other breach data to build a profile for targeted attacks
Phone numbers — enables SIM-swapping attacks and targeted SMS phishing
Usernames — used to build profiles and target you with personalised scams
Is the Instagram breach still dangerous in 2026?
Yes. Stolen data from the Instagram breach remains dangerous years after the incident. Attackers routinely compile data from multiple breaches to build complete profiles, and credentials from 2026 are still actively used in automated attacks today.
Personal information like email addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth does not expire. Even if you changed your Instagram password, the other exposed data can be combined with information from other breaches to target you. Learn how long stolen data stays dangerous.
What to do if your email was in the Instagram breach
1
Change your Instagram password immediately
Log into Instagram and change your password to something strong and unique — one you have never used anywhere else. A password manager after a breach can generate and store a unique password so you never reuse one.
2
Change any account sharing that password
If you reused this password elsewhere, walk the password-reuse change checklist. You can also check whether that password appears in known leaks without sending the password itself.
3
Enable two-factor authentication
Turn on 2FA or a passkey after a breach on Instagram and every important account. Even if your password is known, attackers cannot sign in without the second factor.
4
Check your other accounts for this breach
Run a full email scan to see every breach your address appears in — not just this one. Then follow the after-breach playbook. If a password from this incident is still in use, check it without sending the password itself.
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Shrink people-search listings if your name or address was exposed
A leaked email plus a public people-search page makes phishing more convincing. That is a separate job from changing passwords. See the data broker opt-out guide for official forms and, if you want help, removal services.
Frequently asked about the Instagram breach
How many people were affected by the Instagram data breach?
Approximately 6,215,150 user records were exposed in the Instagram breach in January 2026.
Is the Instagram breach still a risk in 2026?
Yes. Leaked credentials are actively used in credential-stuffing attacks years after a breach. If you reused your Instagram password elsewhere and have not changed it, those accounts remain at risk today.
How do I check if my email was in the Instagram breach?
Enter your email in the free checker on EmailLeaked. We scan millions of breach records including the Instagram dataset and tell you instantly whether your email was exposed and what data was taken.
What should I do if I was in the Instagram breach?
Change your Instagram password immediately, update any account where you used the same password, and enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts. Use a unique password for every account — a password manager makes this straightforward — and monitor for phishing emails over the next 90 days.
How this breach page is reviewed
Breach pages are built from structured breach records and reviewed for practical risk guidance by EmailLeaked. Risk labels reflect exposed data types and are intended to help readers prioritise action.
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