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Your Instagram DMs won't be end-to-end encrypted from May
14 Mar 2026

Meta has announced that it will be discontinuing the end-to-end encryption (E2EE) feature for Instagram DMs.

The company said in an update on its support page that the feature "will no longer be supported after May 8, 2026."

Unlike WhatsApp, Meta never made E2EE available to all Instagram users as a default setting. Instead, it was an opt-in option for users in "some areas."

E2EE on Instagram had very few users
Adoption rates

A Meta spokesperson said the decision to retire E2EE was based on its low adoption among users.

"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," they said.

The spokesperson also highlighted that those who want E2EE can easily use it on WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform.

Meta's encryption journey
Encryption evolution

Meta's journey with encryption has been a complicated one.

The firm started encrypting WhatsApp chats in 2016 and announced a "privacy-focused" overhaul of its apps in 2019.

However, law enforcement agencies and child safety groups have criticized Meta for using encryption, saying it makes it difficult to catch online predators targeting children on social media.

E2EE under regulatory scrutiny in the US
Safety concerns

The E2EE feature has been under scrutiny as regulators worldwide push social platforms to enhance child safety.

In 2024, Nevada's Attorney General sought to ban Meta from offering E2EE to minors.

Recently, New Mexico's AG accused the company of knowing that E2EE "would make its platforms less safe by preventing it from detecting and reporting child sexual exploitation."