End-to-end encryption: what it is and how to turn it on

What is end-to-end encryption?

End-to-end encryption is a way of protecting a conversation where the keys needed to read messages exist only on the participants' devices. The messaging server passes along an encrypted package but cannot open it.

WhatsApp's technical white paper (version of 25 February 2026) defines it this way: communication stays encrypted from a device controlled by the sender to one controlled by the recipient, and no third party in between, not even WhatsApp or Meta, can access the content.

How does it work? Each device has a key pair: a public key anyone can know and a private key that never leaves the phone. The sender encrypts a message with the recipient's key, and only the recipient's private key can decrypt it. Signal, WhatsApp and Messenger, among others, use the Signal protocol. The protocol also changes keys as the conversation goes on.

End-to-end encryption vs encryption in transit

Encryption in transit protects a message on its way between your phone and the server, and between the server and the recipient. On the server itself, though, the provider can read it. That is how most email, regular chats in many apps and websites with a padlock in the browser work.

With E2EE the server only sees scrambled data. The difference matters when someone breaks into the provider's server, when the provider receives a demand to hand over content, or when provider staff have access to data. With E2EE the readable content is simply not there.

Telegram says this openly in its FAQ: regular cloud chats use client-server encryption and are stored in the Telegram cloud, while end-to-end encryption works only in Secret Chats.

How to check and turn on end-to-end encryption in messaging apps

WhatsApp. Personal and group chats are encrypted by default. According to WhatsApp's technical documentation, encryption has no off switch. Exceptions are chats with businesses that run WhatsApp through Meta's Cloud API or have handed their API to another company, and chats with Meta services, including Meta AI. The app flags a business chat without end-to-end encryption with a system message. To verify a contact, open their profile, choose the encryption details and compare the QR code or the 60-digit number on both phones.

Messenger. On 6 December 2023 Meta announced it was starting to make personal one-to-one chats on Messenger end-to-end encrypted by default. Group chats were still being tested at the time. The history of encrypted chats is stored so it can be restored on a new device, so the app may ask you to set up a way to recover it. You can check the status in the chat details (tap the contact's name). If you do not see end-to-end encryption mentioned there, update the app. The Meta materials we reviewed do not describe a manual off switch for regular chats.

Telegram. Regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted. To start a Secret Chat, open the contact's profile, tap "..." and choose "Start Secret Chat". It works only one-to-one, only on the device where it was started, and not in groups.

Discord. Since September 2024 Discord has been rolling out the DAVE protocol: end-to-end encryption for audio and video in direct messages, group DMs, voice channels and Go Live streams. Text messages on Discord are not end-to-end encrypted, as the company stated plainly. Participants can compare a voice privacy code.

Google Messages. According to Google's help page, encryption turns on automatically when both sides use Google Messages with RCS chats enabled. You will see a padlock on the send button and next to the timestamp.

iPhone and iCloud. According to Apple, Messages in iCloud is end-to-end encrypted, but with standard data protection your iCloud Backup includes the key to it. To change that, turn on Advanced Data Protection.

How to turn off end-to-end encryption

Usually you cannot, and there is no reason to. WhatsApp has no off switch, Google Messages turns encryption on automatically and the only alternative is sending a regular SMS. In Telegram there is nothing to turn off, because regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted anyway.

People usually look for this option for two reasons: after switching phones they cannot see their old history, or the app asks for a backup PIN. The fix is to restore the backup with the PIN or key, not to switch off encryption. If a company has to archive correspondence with customers, it needs a tool built for that, not a personal messaging app without encryption.

What end-to-end encryption does not protect

Metadata. E2EE protects content, but the provider may see who talks to whom, when, how often and from which IP address. The scope depends on the app. Signal publishes its responses to government requests, and according to them it can hand over only the account registration date and the date of the last connection to the service.

Backups. A chat backup in Google Drive or iCloud may not be end-to-end encrypted unless you turn that on. Since 2021 WhatsApp lets you encrypt your backup with a password or a 64-digit key, but you have to enable it in the chat backup settings.

An unlocked phone and the other person. Anyone holding your unlocked phone can read everything. The recipient can take a screenshot or forward a message. A malicious app with screen access sees what you see. We explain how to check this in how to tell if your phone is hacked.

Account takeover. If someone tricks you into sharing an SMS code and logs into your account, they receive new messages as you. So turn on two-step verification or a PIN in your messaging app and check the list of linked devices from time to time.

Most secure messaging app: how to choose

There is no single most secure messaging app for everyone. Instead of a ranking, check the criteria:

1. Is end-to-end encryption on by default for all chats, including groups and calls, or do you have to turn it on? 2. Can backups be end-to-end encrypted? 3. How much metadata does the provider collect and keep, according to its privacy policy and reports on government requests? 4. Can you verify a contact with a security code or number? 5. Is the protocol publicly documented and reviewed by independent researchers? 6. Is there a PIN, two-step verification and a list of linked devices? 7. Are there disappearing messages?

Install only the official app from the store. Modified versions and add-ons promising extra features have access to your chats, and nobody knows what they do with them. We explain how to assess an app before installing it in how to check if an app is safe. You can check the website of a lesser-known app's maker for free.

Are messaging apps safe for kids?

End-to-end encryption protects a child's chats from the provider and third parties, but not from the people the child is talking to. A child's safety depends more on settings and on talking with a parent than on encryption.

Check the minimum age. Under WhatsApp's terms for the European Region (effective 17 August 2026), you can use it on your own from 13 or from a higher age required in your country, and where available a parent can set up a parent-managed account. Discord also requires users to be at least 13.

Set up parental controls in the operating system. On Android use Family Link: app approval, screen time limits, location. On iPhone use Screen Time and Communication Safety, which according to Apple is on by default for children under 18 in your family (on current software) and blurs images containing nudity, analysing them on the device.

In the messaging app itself, set who can message the child and add them to groups, hide the phone number from strangers and show the child how to block and report someone. Agree that the child will tell you about any request for photos, money or a meeting.