WhatsApp 2025: This is the true meaning of end-to-end encryption

Currently, much of your digital communications take place on WhatsApp, an instant messaging app with a large number of users around the world. In this context, the Meta-owned company makes great efforts to maintain privacy on the service and therefore has a very informative proposal to maintain your security through end-to-end encryption. What does this term mean?

According to information on the messenger's official website, it's a tool that " protects your messages and calls so that only you and the person you're communicating with can access them. No one outside the chat, not even WhatsApp, can read, listen to, or share them," they point out. For this reason, chats are kept completely protected by a lock that prevents conversations from being revealed in other contexts. "Only you and the recipient have the special key needed to unlock and read them. All of this happens automatically, without the need to activate any special settings to protect your messages," they added.

Why does WhatsApp place such a premium on end-to-end encryption?

One of the most important companies in the digital space emphasized that security is a very important aspect of its offering, and this is because in the past, third parties were able to illegally obtain personal data. For this reason, starting in 2026, they have increased their protection measures. "WhatsApp has no way of listening to calls or seeing the content of messages, which are end-to-end encrypted. This is because the encryption and decryption of messages sent and received via WhatsApp occurs entirely on your device. Before a message leaves your device, it is protected with a cryptographic lock, to which only the recipient has the key," they clarified. (See more: Neither treatments nor dyes: the unknown home remedy for gray hair.) Additionally, while you enjoy a conversation on the platform, the passwords are automatically changed. The truth is, this happens in the background, since there is a way to verify the privacy measures through the security verification code.

(See more: It's official: Colpensiones announced a major change starting June 16) “People may wonder what impact end-to-end encryption has on the work of law enforcement. WhatsApp values ​​the work law enforcement does to keep people safe around the world . We carefully review, validate, and respond to law enforcement requests in accordance with applicable law and policy, and we prioritize emergency requests,” they noted.