Online privacy is more important than ever. That’s especially true if you use online apps and services to store your data and communicate with others. One approach software companies are taking is implementing end-to-end encryption, promising complete privacy and security.
But what is end-to-end encryption and what apps are using it to improve privacy?
How Online Messages Are Transported
Every time you send a message, email, or file over the internet, it gets broken down into small packets of data. Then your internet service provider, or ISP, and app transport it to the target address. But while on the move, your data travels separately through multiple avenues from your device to the recipient, leaving it a high risk of interception.
Encryption is the process of using precise and secure mathematical algorithms to distort sets of data so they become unrecognizable and unreadable. The only way to read encrypted data is to crack its encryption or use the authorized decryption key.
However, not all encryption protocols are equal. Each method excels in some areas and falls short in others. When it comes to securing online communication channels, you need a strong and versatile encryption protocol. One that’s secure enough to protect your privacy while allowing the app to be fast at encrypting and decrypting the data. End-to-end encryption checks almost all the boxes needed for fast and private online communication.
What Is End-to-End Encryption?
End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE or E2E encryption, is an encryption protocol often used in securing online communication. With end-to-end encryption, the contents of your messages are encrypted natively on your device or account before they reach the messaging app’s servers or your internet provider. Importantly, messages are only decrypted when they reach the recipient.
Because of the nature of online communication, you need to rely on the internet and service providers to exchange data with others. Without proper encryption—or only using in-transit encryption, where the service provider encrypts the messages and decrypts them when they reach their destination—the app company, your internet provider, and anyone who intercepts the messages can read their contents, keep records, and change and manipulate their contents.
Messaging Apps That Use End-to-End Encryption
More and more messaging apps have adapted E2EE into their security either as the default setting or an option you can enable. That coincides with people becoming more educated about the importance of online privacy and the risks of poor encryption.
Signal
Founded in 2014, Signal is an open-source and free messaging app. In addition to offering E2EE for text messages, images, video calls, and audio files and chats by default, Signal is cross-platform. You can install Signal on your Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and macOS devices.
Download: Signal for Android | iOS | Windows | macOS (Free)
WhatsApp is a free messaging app that lets you send text messages, images, set up video and audio calls, and send secure payments. In 2016, WhatsApp started using E2EE to meet higher standards of user privacy.
The app is available on Android and iOS devices. Additionally, you can use WhatsApp’s official web app and clients for Windows and macOS desktop devices.
Download: WhatsApp for Android | iOS | Windows | macOS (Free)
Telegram
Telegram is a free open-source and cloud-based messaging application. It provides end-to-end encryption for texting, video and audio calls, VoIP, and file sharing. Telegram is cross-platform and available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux along with a free web app for desktop.
Download: Telegram for Android | iOS | Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)
Email Services That Use End-to-End Encryption
Emails are how people often send important documents and files, instead of casual chatter. That’s why many free email service providers use E2EE to ensure better privacy and security.
ProtonMail
ProtonMail is an open-source, E2EE email service provider that’s been around since 2013. It lets you send and store your encrypted emails using their servers without sacrificing security.
You can install the ProtonMail app on your Android and iOS devices, and either use the web app or the premium Bridge function to install it on macOS, Windows, and Linux PCs.
Download: ProtonMail for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
Tutanota
Tutanota is a free and open-source E2EE emailing service. In addition to encryption, it offers 2FA, and encrypted email storage and calendar. You can directly install the Tutanota app on Android, iOS and use the web app for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Download: Tutanota for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
Thunderbird
Thunderbird is a free and open-source emailing service developed by the Mozilla Foundation. With a one-click address book and email archive Thunderbird is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Download: Thunderbird for Windows | macOS | Linux (Free)
Password Managers That Use End-to-End Encryption
If there’s anything more important to keep safe than communication it’s passwords. Password managers introduce the risk of having all of your passwords in one place protected by a single password. To make sure they remain secure, they use strong encryption.
1Password
1Password is a password management app and service that uses E2EE to secure your logins, both natively on your device and with cloud syncing and backup. The master password that you use to protect your logins is known only to you, even the people at 1Password don’t know it.
1Password apps are available on a variety of devices from iOS and Android to Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
Download: 1Password for Android | iOS | Windows | macOS| Linux | Chrome OS ($2.99/month)
Dashlane
Dashlane is a password manager and wallet application. It uses E2EE to ensure your data is only ever decrypted on your device after you’ve entered the master password. All data Dashlane stores on its servers is fully encrypted and remains private and secure in case of a breach or leak.
Dashlane apps are available on Android and iOS, along with web app for macOS, and Windows, and browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Edge.
Download: Dashlane for Android | iOS | Chrome | Edge (Free, in-app purchases available)
Video Conferencing Apps That Use End-to-End Encryption
Video conferencing apps often come in handy with conducting remote business meetings and online classes. That makes it essential for them to have proper encryption to ensure user privacy.
Zoom
Zoom is a free video conferencing app that’s popular among schools and businesses for virtual classes and meetings. As of 2020, to meet high privacy and security demands, Zoom implemented the option for E2EE. However, Zoom end-to-end encryption isn’t the default setting. The meeting’s host must enable it before starting the meeting.
E2EE secured Zoom calls are available on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
Download: Zoom for Android | iOS | Windows | macOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
Understanding the Importance of Encryption
It’s no doubt that E2EE is one of the most secure and efficient types of encryption to use for online communication channels. As people look to understand encryption, privacy, and security, the demand for even stronger encryption would also increase, leading more apps and services to adopt it.