Facebook has announced that it will be able to encrypt your voice and video calls via Facebook Messenger, with plans to extend that encryption to group chats later.
What is end-to-end encryption in Messenger?
Starting Friday, you can opt to use end-to-end encryption for your conversations in Facebook Messenger, making your communications more private. Text chats in Facebook Messenger have had the option since 2016, but it's new to conversations. Facebook's announcement notes that a large increase in conversations over Messenger over the past year has led to the expansion of encryption coverage.
Facebook claims that when you enable encryption, “no one else, including Facebook, will be able to see or listen to what’s being sent or said.” It also says that you can still report an encrypted message if necessary. Facebook also said that it has begun testing these encryption features for group conversations and plans to roll them out in the future. The Disappearing Messages controls have also been updated to allow for a wider variety of timer options, from five seconds to up to 24 hours.
Opt-in encryption is also being explored for Instagram messages, with a limited test planned for adults in certain countries. This will let you choose whether or not you want to protect your one-on-one conversations on Instagram. However, encrypting your Instagram DMs will require both users to first follow each other or have an existing chat.
