How to Encrypt Private WhatsApp and Gmail Chats and Send Secret Messages to Facebook
Communicate completely securely on WhatsApp
WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to keep your messages private — something that Home Secretary Amber Rudd called “completely unacceptable” back in March before later backtracking. Whatsapp security means that as long as you and the person you're chatting with are running the latest version of the app, all messages are protected and even WhatsApp itself can't see them. Encryption is enabled by default in the application - you do not need to enable it manually. However, if you want to make sure your messages are secure,
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner, select View Contact.
- In the Encryption section, you should see a notification that all chats and calls are secure.
- To verify this, click on the note and scan the displayed QR code on your contact's phone, or vice versa.
Secret conversations in messenger
Secret Conversations is a useful hidden feature in Facebook Messenger for Android and iOS that allows you to send end-to-end encrypted messages to your friends. This option is not enabled by default and you need to start a new private conversation and not just continue an existing thread in order to use it. Also, it doesn't work in group chats.
Facebook's Secret Conversations feature lets you encrypt your chats
To start a secret conversation:
- Tap your profile photo and scroll down to the "Privacy" section.
- Click Secret Conversations. Make sure the feature is enabled.
- Click the "New Message" button and select the "Secret" link in the top right corner.
- Select a friend from your contacts and start writing a message. The recipient must agree to a secret conversation with you.
Send messages and call securely with Signal
A growing number of chat apps, including the aforementioned WhatsApp and Facebook, use end-to-end encryption to keep your conversations private, but Signal (whispersystems.org) is more secure than most. Used and recommended by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, this free app does not store information about its users and allows you to securely chat with contacts in your existing phone and address book.
Available for both iOS and Android, the app allows you to send tamper-proof text, picture and video messages to individuals or groups, as well as make secure phone calls. More recently, the developer has added support for end-to-end encrypted video calls.
Protect your Gmail messages
Although Gmail offers encryption over an HTTPS connection when you read and write messages, it does not encrypt them during transmission. You can greatly increase your privacy by installing the CryptUp (cryptup.org) extension for Chrome and Firefox, which secures messages and attachments sent via Gmail in your browser using PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) end-to-end encryption. It works by adding a Secure Message button to Gmail so you can quickly send secure messages whenever you need to. If your recipient does not have CryptUp or any other email encryption installed, you can password protect your messages or files.
Add end-to-end encryption to your Gmail messages by installing CryptUp.
The developer of CryptUp plans to release apps for Android and iOS along with an add-on for Outlook later this year.
Encrypt email backups
MailStore Home backs up all your emails and works with any email provider including Gmail and Outlook.com. Just select the backup service(s) and it will start working. You can password protect the archives, and the software fully encrypts all databases so no one but you can view the messages.
What do you think of this article?