Your Facebook Messenger conversations can now be safe from prying eyes – with a few caveats.
Facebook began implementing end-to-end encryption for all 900 million Messenger users earlier this year, and that encryption is now complete, the company told Wired on Tuesday.
The privacy feature is available as “Secret Conversations” in the top right corner of Messenger’s “new message” screen. In addition to texts and photos, Facebook has also put encryption on stickers, but videos and GIFs are not included. Additionally, the feature doesn’t work for group chats and must be enabled for each chat.
Facebook also offers its users the Snapchat-like ability to self-destruct after a certain amount of time. To get these features, you'll need to make sure the Messenger app is updated on your Android or iPhone. We don't know what's going on for Windows Phone users, though.
Once you have Secret Chats enabled, Messenger will encrypt your conversations, preventing any unauthorized person – including hackers and government agencies – from decoding your conversations.
Secret Conversations use the trusted and highly praised Signal protocol for encryption. “Your messages are already secure, but Secret Conversations are encrypted from device to device,” the Messenger app.
The announcement follows Facebook's other instant messaging apps that it launched earlier this year. While people have always shown some concern about their privacy, revelations of government surveillance programs led by whistleblower Edward Snowden have made them more aware of their privacy and digital rights.
