Meta has confirmed that, soon, it will remove support for end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs.
Confirmed on a support page, Instagram will be removing end-to-end encryption support for direct messages (DMs) as of May 8, 2026. Meta alerted users to the change through an in-app pop-up.
Meta explains:
End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after 8 May 2026.
- If you have chats that are affected by this change, you will see instructions on how you can download any media or messages that you may want to keep.
- If you’re on an older version of Instagram, you may also need to update the app before you can download your affected chats.
The exact reason for why end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs will be going away is unclear, but it’s unfortunate from a privacy perspective.
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