Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users starting May 8, 2026. When that date arrives, Meta will potentially be able to see the content of all messages between users on the social media platform.
Message encryption has been an optional feature of Instagram since 2023, but in March this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to indicate that the feature would no longer be available for direct messages between users starting May 8.
With end-to-end encryption enabled, the content of messages is protected from the time they leave the sender’s device until the time they reach the recipient’s device. In other words, no one, including Meta, can see what is sent. When May 8th rolls around, this extra layer of security will be removed.
On its help page, Instagram says users affected by the change will see instructions in the app on how they can download the media or messages they want to keep. However, the company has not explained why the encrypted chats need to be uploaded before the deadline or what will happen to them afterward.
In March, a Meta spokesperson said The guardian that the decision to abandon encryption was due to low adoption. “Very few people were opting for end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we are removing this option from Instagram in the coming months,” the spokesperson said. “Anyone who wants to keep their messages with end-to-end encryption can easily do so on WhatsApp.”
Meta has faced sustained pressure over the years from law enforcement and child protection groups to remove encryption, but there’s likely more to it than that. Since Meta is able to see messages between users, it could potentially run advertising algorithms or train chatbots on their content.
It’s a strange turn for a company that in 2019 actively encouraged stronger encryption standards across its social media and messaging apps. As it stands, end-to-end encryption for group chats on Facebook Messenger remains optional, while it remains the default setting for all WhatsApp conversations and calls.