Meta to End End-to-End Encrypted Messaging on Instagram by May 8, 2026

Meta will discontinue end-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram after May 8, 2026, citing low adoption as only a small fraction of users enabled the feature. The company stated that encryption was never rolled out universally on Instagram and remained optional, unlike WhatsApp, where it is enabled by default. Users seeking encrypted messaging are advised to migrate to WhatsApp. Affected Instagram chats will display instructions for users prior to the shutdown. No technical vulnerabilities or CVE IDs were mentioned in relation to this change.