Instagram message encryption is about to end. Here’s what you should know

Friday is the last day for encrypted Instagram direct messages. After May 8, the platform will no longer support this feature. It was announced in a help post.

Instagram said in March that it would stop offering end-to-end encryption to its 3 billion users around the world. at that timeThe feature, which asks people on the platform to sign up, has had a low adoption rate, Meta said.

A Meta spokesperson told CNET that nothing has changed in its plans since that announcement and reiterated a statement from March: “Very few people have chosen end-to-end encrypted messaging in direct messages, so we will be removing that option from Instagram in the coming months. Anyone who wants to continue messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do so on WhatsApp.”

WhatsApp is also owned by Meta.

Read more: I’ve tried Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp, and this is what I recommend

The change means that there is no longer an option to keep private messages on Instagram protected from prying eyes. By default, if law enforcement agencies are given access to someone’s private Instagram messages, there will be no encryption to prevent them from reading them. With this option enabled, Instagram users can keep messages private, as they can only be opened with the keys on their device. However, anyone in an encrypted chat can also share messages with Meta if they are reporting an incident, or with anyone else if they choose.

How to get your messages encrypted

According to the help page message, you will be able to download any encrypted messages you have: “If you have conversations affected by this change, you will see instructions on how to download any media or messages you may want to keep,” the company said. “If you are using an older version of Instagram, you may also need to update the app before you can download affected chats.”