Instagram will discontinue support for end-to-end encrypted messaging on its platform starting May 8, 2026, the company confirmed.
The change means users will no longer be able to use chats protected by end-to-end encryption, which secures messages with a special key to reduce the risk of external interception.
Meta announced the update through a notice on the Instagram website and advised users to download any messages or media they wish to keep before the feature is removed.
“End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after 8 May 2026. If you have chats that are affected by this change, you will see instructions on how you can download any media or messages that you may want to keep,” the notice said.
The company also noted that users on older versions of the app may need to update Instagram before downloading affected chats. (Newswire)