Instagram messages are about to lose end-to-end encryption, and you may need to act

Privacy in messaging apps has become a bigger talking point in recent years, with many platforms promoting end-to-end encryption as a way to keep conversations away from prying eyes. But not every service has embraced it the same way, and now the Instagram version of the feature is about to disappear entirely.

According to a help page on the Instagram support site, the platform will stop supporting end-to-end encryption for messages starting May 8. If you have conversations that rely on the feature, Instagram says you’ll see instructions on how to download any messages or media you want to keep before the change takes effect.

The notice has already started catching some users’ attention. In a recent Reddit thread, one user said they received a notification warning that encrypted chats would no longer be supported in May and asked how to download their messages before the deadline. The help page doesn’t provide further details, and it isn’t clear if the on-app instructions are visible yet or will appear closer to the deadline.

End-to-end encryption means that only the devices in a conversation hold the keys needed to read the messages — even the platform hosting the service can’t access the contents. Without it, messages are still protected in transit, but Instagram can technically access them after they’re decrypted on its servers before delivery.

Encrypted chats were never the default on Instagram, with users having to start a separate encrypted conversation to opt in to the feature. By comparison, apps like WhatsApp automatically apply end-to-end encryption to all chats. Instagram hasn’t explained why it’s discontinuing encrypted chats, but if you’ve been using them, you may want to watch for the instructions on downloading affected conversations before the May deadline.