# Reddit Account Hacked or Locked: How to Get Back In > Reddit says your password or email changed, or locked your account as a precaution? Learn the signs of a hack, how to unlock it and when to submit a request. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/reddit-account-hacked-or-locked - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-20 - Topics: Reddit, Account recovery, Hacked account - Related service: Social media problem solutions: https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions ## Short answer Start by resetting your password. If Reddit locked the account as a precaution, the reset unlocks it. If a hacker changed the email, use the email Reddit sends to your original address to change it back and reset the password. If you are still locked out, submit a request under Security problems and include the affected username. ## Summary - Reddit may lock an account as a precaution and ask you to reset your password. - Unlock a locked account by resetting the password from the email connected to it. - If a hacker changed your email, Reddit sends an email explaining how to change it back. - If you still cannot get in, submit a request under Security problems and include the username. - Reddit says it cannot help if the email address on the account is out of date. Losing access to a Reddit account usually happens in one of two ways. Either someone else got in and changed your details, or Reddit spotted something unusual and locked the account to protect it. The first steps for both are similar, and both rely heavily on the email address connected to the account. This guide explains how to tell which situation you are in and what Reddit says to do next. Last checked: 20 October 2026 against Reddit Help. ## Was my Reddit account hacked or just locked? | What you see | Likely situation | First step | | --- | --- | --- | | A red warning at login asking you to reset your password, plus a Reddit inbox notification | Locked as a security precaution | Reset your password | | An email saying your password or email changed when you did not change it | Possible compromise | Reset your password and restore your email | | Posts, comments, votes or chat messages you did not make | Possible compromise | Reset your password and review apps and sessions | | Authorized apps you do not recognise, or unusual IP history | Possible compromise | Remove the apps and reset your password | | A notice that your account was suspended for breaking rules | Enforcement, not a hack | See our [Reddit suspension guide](https://www.awarexone.com/research/reddit-account-suspended-shadowban) | Reddit lists the signs of a compromise as an unexpected password or email change notice, authorized apps you do not recognise, unusual IP history on your account activity page, and votes, posts, comments or chat messages you do not remember making ([Reddit Help](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045768792-I-need-help-with-a-hacked-or-compromised-account)). ## How do I unlock a Reddit account locked as a precaution? Reddit says it may lock an account if it detects technical irregularities, to prevent possible misuse. When this happens, you see a red warning and a security message asking you to reset your password when you log in, and you receive a notification in your Reddit inbox ([Reddit Help](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045735031-My-account-has-been-locked-as-a-security-precaution)). 1. Check your account settings, if you can, to confirm the email address on the account is correct. 2. Request a password reset. 3. Open the reset email and choose a strong new password you do not use anywhere else. 4. Log in again and check your account activity. If you do not have an email address on the account but can still access it, Reddit says you can add one in your account settings and then reset your password. > Warning: **Keep your email up to date.** Reddit says it will not be able to help if the email address on your account is out of date. A current, verified email is the main way back into a locked account. ## What should I do if my Reddit account was hacked? Reddit gives three steps ([Reddit Help](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045768792-I-need-help-with-a-hacked-or-compromised-account)): 1. Reset your password. 2. If the email address on the account was changed to one you do not recognise, look for the email Reddit sends explaining how to change it back. Enter the original email that was on the account before the hack and reset your password. 3. If you still cannot get back in, submit a request and select Security problems, then I think my account has been hacked. Include the username of the affected account and explain why you are concerned. ## What should I check once I am back in? - Turn on two-factor authentication. - Review authorized apps and remove any you do not recognise. - Check your account activity page and log out of all active sessions. - Confirm the email on the account is yours and verified. - Look for posts, comments or messages sent while you were locked out and delete or explain them. Reddit's security advice also includes using a strong, unique password, using a password manager, not sharing accounts and not leaving your account signed in on shared devices. ## How do Reddit accounts usually get compromised? Reddit lists common causes: simple passwords, reusing the same username and password on several sites, logging in on unsecured WiFi, forgetting to log out of a public computer, sharing an account with other people and authorising unsafe apps to use your Reddit account. If you reused your Reddit password elsewhere, change it on those other sites as well. ## What if the reset email never arrives? Reddit can only send a reset link to the verified email connected to the account. If you signed up with a phone number, Reddit says to log in with Continue with phone number and add an email in settings first. If you signed up with Google or Apple, sign in that way. Reset emails can take up to an hour or land in spam. Our guide on [a Reddit password reset email that has not arrived](https://www.awarexone.com/research/reddit-password-reset-email-not-received) covers each cause. ## Common mistakes - Ignoring the email about a change you did not make, which is often the fastest route back. - Requesting resets to an email that is not the one connected to the account. - Submitting a request without the affected username. - Paying someone who promises to recover the account for you. ## Watch out for recovery scams Reddit's official routes are the password reset, the email it sends about changes, and its help request form. Strangers who message you offering to unlock a Reddit account, or who ask for your password or codes, are not part of that process. Our guide on [spotting fake recovery services](https://www.awarexone.com/research/account-recovery-scams-how-to-spot-fake-recovery-services) lists the warning signs. ## What are the realistic limits? Reddit controls account access and reviews hacked account requests. Recovery depends heavily on the email connected to the account. Reddit says it cannot help log in, or reveal the email on an account, when it cannot verify that the account is yours. For general first steps after any hack, see [what to do in the first 24 hours](https://www.awarexone.com/research/hacked-account-what-to-do-first-24-hours). AwareXone helps people prepare recovery requests through official platform channels. We are independent and not affiliated with Reddit, the work is best-effort, and Reddit makes the final decision. Read more about our [social media problem solutions](https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions). ### Why did Reddit lock my account? Reddit says it may lock an account if it detects technical irregularities, as a precaution against misuse. Resetting your password unlocks it. ### The hacker changed my email. Can I still recover my Reddit account? Reddit says you will get an email explaining how to change it back. You need to enter the original email on the account before the hack and reset your password. ### What do I select when I submit a request? Reddit says to select Security problems, then I think my account has been hacked, and include the username of the affected account. ### Can Reddit tell me which email is on my account? No. Reddit says it cannot tell you the email on an account because it cannot verify your identity, but its username recovery feature can email any usernames linked to an address you enter. ## Official sources - [Reddit Help, I need help with a hacked or compromised account](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045768792-I-need-help-with-a-hacked-or-compromised-account) - [Reddit Help, My account has been locked as a security precaution](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045735031-My-account-has-been-locked-as-a-security-precaution) - [Reddit Help, Why haven't I received my password reset email?](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/16976987585300-Why-haven-t-I-received-my-password-reset-email) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.