WhatsApp encrypted messages explained

All WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, so it’s natural to wonder if you can read an encrypted message, and we’ve got all the answers.

Encryption is WhatsApp’s key selling point. The messaging platform ensures that your messages are only seen by the person you intend to send them to. If you use WhatsApp (which clearly you do, since you’re reading this article), you must have seen a note at the top of a new chat boasting about WhatsApp’s encryption features.

“Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted. No one outside of this chat, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them,” the note says. That’s a good thing from a privacy point of view, but is there a way to read these encrypted texts? The answer may disappoint you.

Can you read encrypted WhatsApp messages?

You cannot read encrypted WhatsApp messages unless they are sent to you. Any app or service that promises to decrypt WhatsApp messages is either a scam or a lie.

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WhatsApp encryption is no joke, and you should know that by the fact that world governments with high-tech software can’t break the encryption. For instance, India tried to force WhatsApp to break encryption and even took its parent company to court over it. However, WhatsApp refused and even threatened to leave the country if forced to break encryption.

What is end-to-end encryption?

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End-to-end encryption is a type of encryption that ensures only you and the person you’re communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between. This is done by scrambling the message using an encryption algorithm and a key.

Let’s say Emily wants to send the message “Dog” to Kevin. Instead of just sending the plain message “Dog,” WhatsApp uses encryption to scramble the message into something that appears random and unreadable.

In the above example, say, WhatsApp replaces each letter in Emily’s message with the letter that comes two places later in the alphabet. So, Emily’s original message ‘Dog’ is encrypted to “Fqi.” Kevin’s WhatsApp, knowing the key (which in this analogy is 2), can decrypt “Fqi” back to the original message “Dog.”

In reality, WhatsApp uses much more complex encryption algorithms to ensure that only the sender and recipient can read the messages. The basic principle, however, remains the same: transforming the message into an unreadable format for secure transmission and then converting it back to its original form for the intended recipient.

How to find your unique 60-digit encryption key in WhatsApp

End-to-end encrypted chats between you and one other person have their own encryption key. WhatsApp uses this code to verify that the calls and the messages you send to that chat are end-to-end encrypted. Follow these steps to find it.

1. Open WhatsApp.
2. Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner, then tap View Contact.
3. Tab Encryption.
4. Tap Compare a 60-digit number. You’ll now see the encryption key on the screen.

For more WhatsApp tips and tricks, feel free to check our comprehensive guide on how to use WhatsApp and how to send HD photos in WhatsApp on iOS & Android.