Soon, Instagram will stop supporting end-to-end encrypted DMs: Details

Meta will remove end-to-end encryption support from Instagram DMs after May 8, with the company advising users to download affected chats if needed

Meta has announced that it will discontinue support for end-to-end encryption in direct messages on Instagram. According to an Instagram support page, the feature will be removed after May 8. A report by 9To5Google also stated that the company has begun notifying users about the change through an in-app pop-up.

What’s changing

On an Instagram support page, Meta stated that end-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after May 8, 2026, and users with affected chats will be provided instructions to download any media or messages they want to keep. It was also noted that users on older versions of the app may need to update Instagram before downloading their affected chats.

 

 

According to 9To5Google, while providing the reason for this action, Meta’s PR team said, “Very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we’re removing this option from Instagram in the coming months. Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”

What is end-to-end encryption and how does it work

 

According to Meta, end-to-end encryption ensures that messages and calls can only be read or heard by the people involved in the conversation, meaning that no one else, including the company itself, can access their contents. However, Meta noted that messages may still be shared with the company if a participant chooses to report a conversation or uses certain optional features.

 

Meta explained that end-to-end encryption works through unique security keys assigned to each device participating in a conversation. When a message is sent in an encrypted chat, it is locked on the sender’s device and can only be unlocked by a device that holds one of the keys linked to that conversation. The same process applies to audio and video calls. Meta added that messages or calls can still be seen or heard by others if a participant in the conversation chooses to share them outside the chat.

Will you be affected by this

This will only affect users who have opted in to encrypted chats on Instagram, as end-to-end encryption is not enabled by default. Users have to start a separate encrypted conversation to opt in to the feature. By comparison, apps like WhatsApp automatically apply end-to-end encryption to all chats.