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Instagram has discontinued end-to-end encryption on the platform, meaning user messages are now only protected by standard encryption.
FILE PHOTO: Instagram app icon is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo(REUTERS)Instagram has officially ended end-to-end encryption on the platform, meaning users who care about the sanctity of their messages will now have to choose a different platform. The Mark Zuckerberg-led platform had made the big public announcement about bringing encryption to Instagram and other Meta platforms, stating ‘future is private’.
The company eventually began giving users the option of having end-to-end encryption on their Instagram chats in 2022. However, unlike WhatsApp, where end-to-end encryption is the standard for all conversations, Instagram users had to manually enable ‘secret conversations’ for each chat in order to start the encryption.
While the rollout may have seemed ingenious, the end of the feature was even more so. Meta didn't make a public announcement about the removal of end-to-end encryption on Instagram, and the company also didn't have a standalone blog post for the announcement. Instead, it amended the 2022 blog post announcing the arrival of end-to-end encryption on Instagram and added that it was killing the feature due to low opt-ins by 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. You can keep messaging with end-to-end encryption easily on WhatsApp,” Meta wrote in an update on 9 March this year.
The privacy-focused feature came to an end on 8 May and no chats on Instagram are now end-to-end encrypted (E2EE). Without E2EE encryption, Meta has technically regained the ability to access and read the contents of every direct message shared on the platform.
What does it mean for your Instagram messages?
The messages on the platform are now protected by standard encryption. Meaning while your DMs are still technically protected from outside hackers, Meta holds the decryption keys to them. Technically, Meta's automated systems can potentially now scan your private conversations for moderation, policy enforcement, and safety investigations.
The company can also potentially be legally compelled to hand over your message logs, voice notes, and media attachments to law enforcement agencies if presented with a valid court order.
In contrast, in an end-to-end encrypted system, messages are scrambled in a way that only the sender and recipient can read them, with even the platform itself unable to access the contents of conversations. This is the default standard on platforms like WhatsApp and Signal, both of which position privacy as a core feature.
What alternatives can you consider?
With E2EE encryption out of the window on Instagram, the only choice for privacy-focused users is to avoid having sensitive conversations on Instagram DMs and instead take them to a platform with better privacy safeguards.
Here are some platforms you can consider which have E2EE as the default standard:
- Signal
- Threema
- Telegram (Note: E2EE is not the default for all conversations on Telegram and you must start a "Secret Chat" for the privacy feature to kick in)
- Session
About the Author
Aman Gupta
Aman Gupta is a Digital Content Producer at LiveMint with over 3.5 years of experience covering the technology landscape. He specializes in artificial intelligence and consumer technology, reporting on everything from the ethical debates around AI models to shifts in the smartphone market. <br> His reporting is grounded in first-hand testing, independent analysis, and a focus on how technology impacts everyday users. He holds a PG Diploma in Radio and Television Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi (Class of 2022). <br> Outside the newsroom, he spends his time reading biographies, hunting for the perfect coffee beans, or planning his next trip. <br><br> You can find Aman on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-gupta-894180214">LinkedIn</a> and on X at <a href="https://x.com/nobugsfound">@nobugsfound</a>, or reach him via email at <a href="aman.gupta@htdigital.in">aman.gupta@htdigital.in</a>.
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