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E2EE turned off May 8
Meta has discontinued end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for direct messages on Instagram, disabling the privacy-focused feature globally from Friday, May 8.
“disabling the privacy-focused feature globally from Friday, May 8”
Mid-dayMid-day said users who had enabled encrypted chats began receiving in-app notifications urging them to download important media, photos, videos, voice notes, or messages before the data becomes inaccessible in its encrypted form.
The company said the encrypted data is available only via a computer through the “Your Activity” section under secure storage, and it provided instructions inside the app and on its help centre for downloading the content.
PCMag UK reported that Meta’s support note states, "End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after May 8, 2026."
PCMag UK also quoted a Meta spokesperson explaining the change, saying it removed the feature because “very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs."
What changes for privacy
With Instagram DMs no longer protected by E2EE, IBTimes India said Meta will be able to access message content, including photos, videos and voice notes, if required.
IBTimes India added that Instagram will continue to use standard encryption, commonly used by services such as Gmail, which protects chats during transmission between devices and servers but allows the platform to access content when necessary.
ETV BharatETV Bharat said Meta removed E2EE because only a small number of users were actively enabling encrypted chats, and it described the result as allowing Meta to technically scan and access message content for moderation, law enforcement compliance, and AI training.
The Hindu reported Meta’s Help Centre language that “End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after 8 May 2026,” and said affected users would receive instructions to download media or messages they wish to keep.
MacRumors said Meta can potentially see what is in messages shared between users on Instagram, and that information can be shared with law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Safety groups and alternatives
Child protection groups welcomed the rollback, with IBTimes India saying NSPCC welcomed the change because encrypted messaging will make it difficult to detect harmful activity and child abuse online.
“NSPCC welcomed the rollback of E2EE, saying encrypted messaging will make it difficult to detect harmful activity”
IBTimes IndiaMediaPost quoted NSPCC’s Rani Govender saying, “We are really pleased,” and added that E2EE “can allow perpetrators to evade detection, enabling the grooming and abuse of children to go unseen.”
Meta told users to download their encrypted chat history before the feature is fully discontinued, and PCMag UK said users may need to upgrade to a newer version of the app to download their data.
Meta directed users toward WhatsApp for E2EE chats, and ETV Bharat said Meta directed users towards WhatsApp for E2EE chats while Instagram transitions to standard encryption.
Mashable reported that Meta recommended users turn to WhatsApp or Meta's standalone Messenger app, which still offers the feature, and said Meta notified users who had end-to-end encryption turned on in chats with friends.
