WhatsApp is testing an indicator that shows chats are encrypted

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Whatsapp Group Message on iPhone X
Whatsapp Group Message on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp is testing a new footer message that will remind users that their chats are private.
  • The change is now available in the latest WhatsApp beta.
  • There is no word on when this change will ship to everyone via the App Store.

WhatsApp is testing a change that will show people that their chats are end-to-end encrypted. The change is now available in WhatsApp 22.6.0.74, the latest version to be released to those on the TestFlight beta program.

The new change is a minor one but it's designed to remind users that their chats cannot be viewed by anyone, including WhatsApp. The same footer message is also on its way to WhatsApp on the desktop, as noted by WABetaInfo.

Whatsapp Footer Encryption Message

Whatsapp Footer Encryption Message (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp is planning to introduce the same information at the bottom of your chats list. This was expected since WhatsApp is also planning to add a footer containing this information below your chats, on a future update of WhatsApp Desktop beta.

There is no timeline for when this change will come to people using the App Store version of WhatsApp, but it's such a small change that it won't change the way most people use the app. The reminder that chats are private and secure is an important one, however, especially at a time where WhatsApp is being used by people who are concerned that their government could be monitoring their communications.

WhatsApp is already one of the best iPhone apps at what it does, despite now being owned by Facebook parent company, Meta.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.