How to Turn on and off End-to-End Encryption for Instagram Chats
Enabling end-to-end encryption on Instagram chats ensures private conversations stay secure from third-party access.
These days, messaging apps aren’t just about convenience, they’re about trust. And with so much of our personal info flowing through DMs, that trust hinges on privacy features like end-to-end encryption.
So what does that actually mean? Basically, it’s like having a one-on-one conversation in a soundproof room, no one outside can listen in. Not Instagram, not Meta, not even a hacker snooping on your Wi-Fi. Only you and the person you’re chatting with can read or hear what’s shared.
Instagram offers this level of privacy for your chats, but it’s not always switched on automatically. Whether you want to tighten your digital security or just understand what toggling that encryption setting really does, here’s a quick guide on how to turn on (or turn off) end-to-end encryption on Instagram.
How to Turn on End-to-End Encryption for Instagram Chats
Step 1: Open Instagram on your device
Step 2: Tap the Messages icon at the top-right corner and then open the chat that you want to encrypt
Step 3: Tap on the profile of the person at the top of the chat window
Step 4: Select Privacy and Safety
Step 5: Click on Use end-to-end encryption
How to Turn off End-to-End Encryption for Instagram Chats
While you cannot turn off end-to-end encryption on Instagram, you can delete your encrypted chats. To do this, press and swipe right on the chat, then tap trash icon.
Conclusion
Turning end-to-end encryption on or off in Instagram chats gives you more control over your privacy. Whether you’re looking to keep sensitive conversations extra secure or simply want to switch back to standard messaging, Instagram makes it easy to toggle the setting. Just remember, once encryption is enabled, only you and the other person can read your messages not even Instagram.
David Adubiina
