End-to-End Encryption - How It Works

Jun 15, 2025
In simple terms — End-to-End Encryption is a method where only you and the person you’re communicating with can access the exchanged information. No one in the middle can see or understand it — not even the app company.
🔐 Think of it like a lock and key: You put a lock on a message, and only the person with the correct key can unlock and read it.
🛠️ How does it work? End-to-End Encryption uses a method called Public Key Cryptography. Simply put:
- Every user has two keys — a public key and a private key.
- When you send a message, it's encrypted using the recipient’s public key.
- That message can only be decrypted using their private key — which only they possess.
📬 As a result, even if the message passes through a server, no third party (not even hackers) can read or alter it.
📱 Which apps use this?
✅ WhatsApp ✅ Signal ✅ iMessage ✅ Facebook Messenger ✅ Telegram
👉 Messages sent on these apps can only be read by the sender and the recipient.
❗ Why is this important?
In today’s world, data privacy and security are crucial. Every day, we share personal information such as:
- Messages
- Photos
- Videos
- Passwords
- Banking details
End-to-End Encryption protects this data from:
- Hacker attacks
- Third-party surveillance
- Even the app company itself
🤔 Common Misconceptions
Some people say:
“I have nothing to hide, so why do I need security?”
This is a completely wrong mindset. Here's why:
- Even if you have nothing private today, you might in the future.
- You can’t always predict which information might become sensitive or valuable later.
- Something that’s not private today may become highly sensitive tomorrow.