Unexpected Instagram password reset emails or prompts usually mean someone is repeatedly entering your username or email on the “Forgot password” form, or a bot/script is doing it automatically. As long as no one actually clicks the reset link and completes the process, your existing password does not change.

Quick Scoop

  • Most likely cause:
    Someone (or a bot) is typing your Instagram username or email into the password reset page, which automatically sends those “We got a request to reset your password” emails. Popular or short usernames get targeted more often.
  • Less common causes:
    • A person specifically wants your handle and is trying to take over the account.
* Automated “credential stuffing” or brute-force attempts by scripts hitting Instagram’s reset form in bulk.

* You recently tried logging in many times or from new devices, triggering extra security prompts that feel like a reset loop.
  • Good news:
    If you ignore the reset links and no one has access to your email, your account usually stays safe, but you should still tighten security for peace of mind.

Why You Keep Getting These Requests

1. Bots hammering the “Forgot Password” form

  • There are scripts that take lists of Instagram usernames, feed them into the “Forgot password” field, and spam out reset emails.
  • This works because the form allows reset by “Email, phone or username,” so anyone who knows your username can trigger an email to you—even if they never see your inbox.

2. Someone targeting your username

  • If you have a clean, short, or brandable handle, people sometimes repeatedly try resets hoping they can eventually compromise the account.
  • Community stories describe owners of “valuable” usernames getting reset emails “every other day” for long periods.

3. Security checks and login issues on your side

  • If Instagram thinks there’s unusual activity, it may force you into a password-change or verification flow, which can look like endless reset prompts or loops.
  • Repeated failed logins, switching devices, or using unstable connections can keep pushing you back to change-password screens even after you set a new one.

What You Should Do Right Now

1. Lock down your account

  • Change your Instagram password to a long, unique one (at least 12–16 characters with letters, numbers, and symbols).
  • Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) in Instagram (preferably via an authenticator app, not just SMS). This makes a takeover much harder even if someone guesses your password.
  • Check your email account security too: use a strong password and 2FA there as well, because whoever controls your email can confirm resets.

2. Review your Instagram security settings

  • In Settings → Security → Login Activity, review recognized devices and locations; log out of anything that looks unfamiliar.
  • In Settings → Security, check for any linked apps or services you do not recognize and remove them.

3. Handle the emails themselves

  • Only trust password reset emails that come from the official Instagram domain (for example, from the same address you normally get Instagram notifications from).
  • Do not click “reset password” links if you did not request them; just ignore or delete.
  • Some legitimate Instagram emails include a line like “If you didn’t request this, you can ignore this email and your password will not change,” which is accurate.

How to Reduce or Filter the Spam

Email filtering tricks

You can’t stop other people from typing your username into the reset form, but you can stop seeing the noise in your inbox:

  • Set up an email rule/filter so messages with phrases like “request to reset your Instagram password” or “We got a request to reset your Instagram password” skip the inbox and go to Archive or a special folder.
  • Some users report this completely removes the annoyance while leaving the account safe and intact.

Changing the email tied to Instagram

  • A more extreme move is changing your Instagram email to something hard to guess , such as a long random string only used for that account.
  • If emails keep arriving even after using a unique, private address, that suggests ongoing bot activity against your username rather than someone who specifically knows your email.

When to Worry (And What to Watch For)

You should treat it as higher risk and act fast if:

  • Instagram shows logins or login attempts from places/devices you do not recognize.
  • You see changes to your profile, posts, email, or phone number that you did not make.
  • The reset emails start appearing together with DMs or texts that say things like “Tap here to reset your password,” which can be part of phishing or social-engineering tricks.

If any of that happens:

  1. Secure your email and Instagram passwords immediately.
  2. Turn on or re-check 2FA.
  3. Use Instagram’s help pages for hacked accounts (search for “instagram.com/hacked”) and follow the recovery steps, including ID verification if needed.

Bottom line:
You’re probably seeing the side effects of bots or people repeatedly slamming the “Forgot password” form with your username, not a guaranteed hack—but you should still harden your passwords, enable 2FA, and filter those emails so they stop cluttering your inbox.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.