whatsapp.pngWhatsApp has enabled full end-to-end encryption for all users of the mobile instant messenger app.

The Facebook-owned service started implementing end-to-end encryption to standard chat messages in 2014, but has now completed rollout to all forms of communication within the app, such as photos, videos and calls.

WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton officially announced the rollout on the company's blog:

From now on when you and your contacts use the latest version of the app, every call you make, and every message, photo, video, file, and voice message you send, is end-to-end encrypted by default, including group chats.

The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us. End-to-end encryption helps make communication via WhatsApp private — sort of like a face-to-face conversation.

If you’re interested in learning more about how end-to-end encryption works, you can read about it here. But all you need to know is that end-to-end encrypted messages can only be read by the recipients you intend. And if you’re using the latest version of WhatsApp, you don’t have to do a thing to encrypt your messages: end-to-end encryption is on by default and all the time.

Encryption has become a hot topic in recent weeks following Apple's high-profile dispute with the FBI, which attempted to compel the company to unlock San Bernardino shooter Farook Syed's iPhone. On March 28 the Justice Department announced it had found an alternate method to gain access to the iPhone in question and dropped the lawsuit.

While the FBI has not shared how it was able to unlock the iPhone, nor shared details on what was found, it is believed Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite, a company that offers "mobile forensic solutions," was enlisted to break into the device. The FBI is still working on analyzing the information found on the iPhone but says it's too early to tell if the data on the device is useful.

Last month, Swiss software developer and civil liberties outfit Proton Technologies released its end-to-end encrypted email app ProtonMail for iOS. Meanwhile, Apple is working to further harden iCloud security so that even it won't be able to access user information stored on its data servers.

WhatsApp Messenger is a free download for iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

Mr Fusion Avatar
117 months ago
Threw away WhatsApp as soon as Facebook bought them, as I didn't care for my messages filtering through FB's ad revenue machine and NSA servers. Took a while to get my friends on board with Telegram but it was worth it. For me this is too little, too late.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stringent Avatar
117 months ago
I also ditched WhatsApp due to it being bought by FB as I do not trust them with an ounce of information. iMessage is fine for me, and for my Android friends I use Hangouts. I trust Google a bit more than Facebook. Which doesn't take much!

The end to end encryption is a start and a good thing though.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vmachiel Avatar
117 months ago
The more channels are encrypted, the harder it is for law enforcement to trample all over our rights. This is good thing.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vjl323 Avatar
117 months ago
Threw away WhatsApp as soon as Facebook bought them, as I didn't care for my messages filtering through FB's ad revenue machine and NSA servers. Took a while to get my friends on board with Telegram but it was worth it. For me this is too little, too late.
Telegram is a 100% better solution - totally agree! The philosophy behind the company is quite sound, and when the devs spent just one week in the US for a convention, they were approached by FBI asking them to create a backdoor. They publicly refused, but there's no doubt in my mind that since FB owns WhatsApp, there's already a backdoor in place, despite the encryption.

The feature set and security of Telegram is amazing. And the company has no problem explaining why they make this app free. I trust Telegram a *lot*.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
117 months ago
It's kind of ironic though, as the primary goal of Facebook which owns Whatsapp is to gather data but is willingly encrypting every device on their own service. Call me a cynic, but I don't trust them one bit.

Also, Telegram is miles better at end to end device encryption.
At least I trust them more, but on the other hand almost none of my friends seem to switch to it. :mad:
It's not really ironic at all. It's smart. This gives FB the appearance of privacy protection while their main source of ad revenue and data mining still hums along perfectly fine. The amount of potential ad serving data in messaging is miniscule compared to their main revenue generator.

Generally speaking, most people either don't care about encryption, don't know about it's importance, or think "I'm not doing anything so..." Besides, a large percentage of people freely share every detail of their lives online. :oops: To them, the concepts of privacy and encryption are about as relevant as a 3rd superfluous nipple.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KALLT Avatar
117 months ago
it is russian tho
It is controlled by several Russians, but it seems that the web of mailbox companies that Telegram has spun to hide its identity leads ultimately back to the US. What is more concerning is that Telegram is made by Zuckerberg’s former rival Durov, who was in charge of the Russian ‘Facebook’ until he was ousted by Russian authorities. He was as much in the business of big data as Facebook is. Telegram is at least as dubious as WhatsApp.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...