After several years of being numb on the issue, Instagram has finally rolled out two-factor authentication (2FA) for users. In a nutshell, 2FA creates an additional layer of security on your accounts, and helps to prevent hackers from accessing your account even if they know your password.
If you enter the correct password for an account while logging in, that company will send a unique code to your cellphone number in order to complete the login. As someone who uses it, it really brings peace of mind knowing that someone can’t log into your account by simply using your password.
You can, and should, enable 2FA by clicking on the settings icon in the top right of your profile, hitting two-factor authentication in the following menu, and enabling the setting to “Require security code.” The next time you want to log in, a six-digit code is messaged to you, which is basically your second password that is required to log in completely.
