Telegram has a reputation as one of the more privacy-focused messaging apps, which is why it might surprise you to hear that its chats aren’t end-to-end encrypted by default. For that, you’ll need to create a Secret Chat.
End-to-end encryption is a security feature that only allows your data to be decrypted when it reaches its recipient. This stops your Internet provider, the messaging app and any other wandering eyes from peeking at your messages.
If you’ve read Is Telegram Safe, you’ll already know that the only way to get this level of privacy on Telegram is with a Secret Chat.
Unlike Telegram’s regular and group chats, Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted. However, they’re only available on the device you begin the conversation on. This means you won’t be able to access the chat if you move from your phone onto a tablet or computer.
So, how do you make a Secret Chat? Keep reading to find out…
What you’ll need:
- A Telegram account
The Short Version
- Open Telegram
- Go to your Contacts
- Select a friend to chat with
- Go to their profile
- Tap More
- Hit Start Secret Chat
How to turn on Secret Chat in Telegram
Step
1Open Telegram
We’ll be following these steps on the mobile app, but if you want to chat privately on another device you’ll have to make a separate Secret Chat there as these chats won’t sync across your account.
Step
2Tap Contacts
This will take you to your list of friends on Telegram.
Step
3Choose the person you want to create a Secret Chat with
This can be anyone on Telegram.
Step
4Tap on their icon in the top right corner
This will take you to your friend’s profile.
Step
5Tap More
This is the button with three dots.
Step
6Hit Start Secret Chat
That’s it! You now have an end-to-end encrypted chat on Telegram.
FAQs
If you want to add another layer of secrecy to your chats, you can use Telegram’s Self-Destruct Timer to tell the app to delete your messages after a set amount of time.
To do this, simply tap on the clock icon and set a time limit. After this, each message new you send will disappear once the recipient has seen it and the time limit has passed.
No, you can only create a Secret Chat with one person at a time on Telegram. You also can’t forward messages to others from existing Secret Chats, but anyone can take screenshots.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.