Facebook Messenger: How to Enable Encryption?

Step-by-step instructions

End-to-end (E2EE) message encryption means that the messages you send are encrypted on your device and only decrypted when delivered to the sender, and no one in between can read them, not even the companies that offer these apps.

Messaging apps with end-to-end encryption have been around for a while, like Viber, Signal, Telegram, and others. But what if you want to chat with someone who doesn’t have these apps or insists on communicating via Facebook Messenger?

Fortunately, Facebook has provided this feature for Messenger, you just have to enable it for each chat individually.

First, from the Messenger mobile app, select the bottom left ” Chats ” icon. Then tap the ” Edit ” icon on the top right and turn on the lock icon on the top right as well. Finally, select the person you want to chat with from the list.

You can also enable E2EE on a chat you already have. Select the information of the conversation with the “ i ” icon on the top right and then select “ Go to secret conversation ”.

There you will also find the option “ Vanish mode ” which you can activate if you want the conversation to disappear when you close your conversation with that person.

You can also choose how long your message will be available for reading before it disappears. While in an encrypted chat, select “ Disappearing messages ” and select the time you want your message to be available. You can choose from 5 seconds to 24 hours.

Keep in mind that encrypted chat only occurs between the two devices users are using. That is, if you start an E2EE conversation from your mobile phone, you will not see it on your desktop.