End-to-end encryption is a big deal in messaging lately, and today Facebook said that it’s testing that technology in Messenger.
Called Secret Conversations, Facebook Messenger’s end-to-end encrypted messages can only be read by you and one device of the person that you’re talking to. FB also says that Secret Conversations don’t currently support features like GIFs, videos, making payments, and other “popular Messenger features.” To start a Secret Conversation, you'll have to visit a person's profile and then start an encrypted conversation from there.
Also of note is that Secret Conversations will let you set a timer to control how long the message you send remains visible in the conversation.
Messenger’s Secret Conversations are only available on a limited, test basis right now, but Facebook plans to roll it out more widely this summer. It’s nice to see end-to-end encryption finally coming to Messenger, especially considering how popular Facebook’s messaging service is. That said, it’s kind of disappointing that Secret Conversations can only be read on a single device.
Will you use Secret Conversations when they roll out in Messenger?