Whenever you chat with someone on WhatsApp for the first time, you’re greeted with a message saying, “Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted.” However, this message appears only once, specifically when you start chatting with the person. To raise awareness about encryption, WhatsApp is considering changing this approach by displaying a small status or caption under the contact name to let you know that the chats are encrypted.
The feature has been on iOS and Mac for quite some time now and it’s good to see that it’s making its way to Android as well now. WABetaInfo initially spotted this feature on WhatsApp’s latest Beta version 2.24.3.17, available on the Google Play Store. As you can see in the screenshot below, there’s a small caption that appears on and off while you are chatting with the user.
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Don’t worry; you can still see the “last seen” of a user after the caption fades away. The caption usually fades away in 2-3 seconds. So, does this mean that our chats were not encrypted? No, all WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted by default. The new “end-to-end encrypted” caption is more of an awareness message to reassure users that their chats are private.
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So, what is end-to-end encryption, anyway? End-to-end encryption ensures that your messages are kept private and safe from third parties, including WhatsApp itself. Only you and the recipient can see the messages sent or received. The messages you send or receive are converted into unreadable text called “ciphertext” which cannot be decrypted back to readable text called “plaintext” unless one has a key. At your end, the messages can be decrypted using your keys.
Finally, the new way WhatsApp emphasizes end-to-end encryption with a little caption is a great move towards making users more aware and protecting their privacy. Users can rest assured knowing that their messages are private and safe from prying eyes, all thanks to this update. While the feature is still in beta, we can expect it to roll out to all users in the coming weeks.
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