Secret messages: three levels of secrecy

In a one-to-one chat you decide how protected each message is. The level switch is at the top of the chat. It is set to “Normal” by default.

Normal

Messages and media are stored on secure servers (Google Firebase) and are available only to the people in the conversation. Technically the server can read the content — that is fine for everyday chatting, and it is how most messengers work.

Secret

The message is protected with end-to-end encryption: only you and the other person hold the keys. The server sees only ciphertext and passes it along without being able to read it. Once delivered, the encrypted message is removed from the server. If the other person is offline, it waits encrypted and arrives when they open the chat.

Top secret

The most closed mode. On top of end-to-end encryption, the content never passes through the server at all: it waits on your device and is delivered straight to the other person when you are both online. The server knows only that a message exists for the other person, not what it says.

What to keep in mind

• Who talks to whom and when is always visible to the server, even in secret modes. Notifications could not work otherwise.
• Secret modes are for one-to-one chats only — not groups.
• The history of secret messages lives only on this device. Lose it or switch devices and it is gone; there is no backup.
• In “Top secret”, delivery may wait until you and the other person are online at the same time.
• Secret modes are available from age 18.

How to turn it on

Open a one-to-one chat and pick a level in the switch at the top: “Normal”, “Secret” or “Top secret”. The first time you turn on a secret mode, a short explanation appears. The level applies to the messages you send next; you can go back to Normal at any time.