Meta has confirmed that Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption from its direct messaging feature on May 8, 2026. The company made the announcement discreetly via its help center. Users who relied on this privacy feature are being told to migrate to WhatsApp if they want to keep their messages private.
The removal follows a turbulent history for the feature. Mark Zuckerberg pledged in 2019 that Meta would offer end-to-end encryption across its platforms. Instagram’s version of the feature launched in 2023 but was only available to those who opted in. Few users ever activated it, and Meta has used this as its reason for discontinuing it.
Once the change takes effect, Meta will be able to view all private messages on Instagram. The company was previously limited to accessing non-encrypted conversations. This distinction will no longer apply after May 8, 2026.
Law enforcement bodies had argued for years that encryption on Instagram was a problem. The FBI, Interpol, and agencies in the UK and Australia had all raised concerns about the feature’s impact on their ability to investigate child exploitation. Australia was reportedly already seeing the feature switched off before the global cutoff date.
Privacy advocates are troubled by both the removal and the recommendation to switch to WhatsApp. They argue that users should not have to change platforms to access basic privacy protections. Digital Rights Watch went further, warning that Meta’s commercial interests could eventually lead to the monetization of Instagram DM content.