Testing: Instagram develops Audio Rooms & E2E encryption

Instagram is entering the voice-based space with the development of audio rooms, along with testing the addition of security to direct messages with encryption.

Audio Rooms & E2E encryption, both developments by Instagram are currently in the testing phase and have not been rolled out on full-scale yet.

End-To-End Encryption

Instagram has been spotted to add end-to-end encryption to direct messages. Although it is unclear whether the encryption would be functional for users who have integrated Instagram direct messages with Messenger, as a part of the recent update.

For the unacquainted, end-to-end encryption is a layer of security added to messaging services to build a communication system wherein only the sender and the receiver can read the messages.

The Facebook family of apps, particularly WhatsApp, has been under the radar over privacy concerns after the messaging service launched its new privacy policy, and questions around the accessibility of WhatsApp chats despite being end-to-end encrypted emerged.

The move by Instagram is seemingly towards clearing the air surrounded by privacy concerns of Facebook apps and integrating a security layer to Direct Messages.

Also Read: Instagram Updates: Recently Deleted Folder, Vertical Stories, & more

Audio Rooms

With the rising popularity of Clubhouse and Twitter's development of Spaces, Instagram is keeping up with the competition with its own in-app audio rooms.

Voice-based features and social interactions have grown widely popular since 2020, and all the credit goes to Clubhouse - a voice-based social media platform for drop-in audio chats. Users can walk into 'rooms' and be a part of different conversations, hear stories, debate about topics or learn, with friends, or anyone around the world.

Instagram's audio rooms are on similar lines and can be accessed via Direct Messages. By the looks of it, the feature may be confined to the accounts following the user or followed by them.

Meanwhile, the popularity of Clubhouse and its userbase is growing by the minute, and Twitter has made a few significant developments for Spaces, another version of voice-based chat rooms.