Messenger: For less boring encrypted chats

The Meta group announced a redesign of Facebook Messenger. Facebook’s parent company is making conversations protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE) more user-friendly on its messaging app. As a reminder, this security system guarantees that no one, neither Meta nor a third party company, can read the messages apart from the user who sends them and his interlocutor when the data passes from one device to another.

Until now, when a user entered an end-to-end encrypted conversation, there was no way to access customization options. He found himself chatting against a plain white background. Now, these encrypted chats can incorporate themes, custom emojis, reactions, profile pictures on group chats, and other personalization features. They will also now allow to display the active status, display preview thumbnails when sending an internet link. Encrypted conversations also become compatible with the display of chat bubbles on Android.

Unlike WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger does not yet offer end-to-end encryption by default, which is still being tested. This redesign comes as the messaging app will expand testing of its default activation to more users, announced Mark Zuckerberg.

“Over the next few months, more people will see some of their chats being gradually upgraded with an extra layer of protection provided by end-to-end encryption.” Meta explains that this deployment is done randomly and that the company will inform participants as it happens.