Using end-to-end encryption in Instagram DMs? Meta plans to end support it after May 8

Popular social media app, Instagram said that it will end support for end-to-end encryption for direct messaging or DMs after May 8, 2026.

In an update in Help Center page, the app said, “End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after May 8, 2026.” It further noted that if people who have their chats impacted by this change, they will see instructions on how one can download any media or messages they 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 update mentioned.

Why is Instagram pulling back this feature?

The Verge, in a report noted that a Meta spokesperson said that the company was discontinuing the feature because "very few people" were using it. For those who still want to enjoy this feature could turn to WhatsApp. As of now, Facebook’s Messenger is still proving end-to-end encryption.

Meanwhile, multiple reports highlight that this change is to combat illegal activities. According to the Verge report, authorities in several countries have argued that end-to-end encryption can make it harder to detect harmful or illegal activity such as child exploitation or scams, increasing pressure on platforms to maintain visibility into messages.

Last week, Meta’s WhatsApp, in an effort to contribute to multiple governments’ decision to control social media access by teens, introduced a new feature allowing parents to supervise accounts used by younger users.

The feature, called parent-managed accounts, is designed for children under 13 and allows a parent or guardian to create and link the child’s account to their own WhatsApp profile.

Under the new system, parents can control who is allowed to contact their child, approve group invitations, and manage privacy settings such as profile visibility. Parents can also review message requests from unknown numbers and restrict certain interactions. However, the content of messages remains private due to WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, meaning even parents cannot read chats directly.  

The company says the feature was developed after feedback from families and safety experts seeking a more controlled messaging environment for younger users. Parent-managed accounts are also designed to limit the platform experience primarily to messaging and calling, rather than offering the full set of features available to adult users.  

 What is end-to-end encryption?

As per Instagram’s Help Center blog, End-to-end encryption adds extra security and protection to your messages and calls in a chat so that only you and whoever you're talking to can see, hear or read them. The content of your messages and calls in an end-to-end encrypted chat is protected from the moment it leaves your device to the moment it reaches the receiver’s device.

“This means that nobody during this delivery, including Facebook, can see or listen to what's sent or said,” the blog read.