Meta to Discontinue End-to-End Encryption in Instagram Messages by 2026: What Users Need to Know

Meta has decided to discontinue support for end-to-end encryption in Instagram private messages. The feature will stop working after May 8, 2026, as announced on the company's support page.

What's Known

Unlike WhatsApp, where encryption is enabled by default, this feature has never been available to all users on Instagram. It only worked in specific regions and had to be activated manually for each chat.

Meta explained that they are discontinuing the feature due to low popularity among users. According to a company representative, only a small number of people chose the encrypted messages mode in direct. For users who want to communicate with end-to-end encryption, the company suggests switching to WhatsApp, where such technology is used by default.

Meanwhile, Meta's statement does not clarify the future of encryption in Messenger. Earlier, the company reported that it is gradually moving personal messages in this service to default end-to-end encryption.

Meta's approach to secure messaging has changed repeatedly. WhatsApp received full encryption back in 2016. In 2019, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that he plans to make privacy a key principle of Meta's services.

At the same time, the technology is regularly criticized by law enforcement and child protection organizations, which believe that encryption complicates the fight against online crimes. According to Zuckerberg, the balance between user safety and privacy has long influenced the implementation of this feature in the company's services.

Source: Meta