How To Use Facebook Secret Conversation Mode to Encrypt Facebook Messages
Facebook Secret Conversation is a new feature in the Facebook Messenger mobile app that provides end-to-end encryption between devices running the most current version of the application.
By default, once you upgrade your Facebook Messenger to the latest version the feature is may be automatically turned on. However, if you want to turn it on or off.
Your conversation will now be converted to a “Secret Conversation” and you will notice a change from the regular conversations where your text bubbles are blue, in “Secret Conversation” mode they will be black.
Note: The chat box changes in two ways: it now indicates in red what the expiry time is and the clock icon is filled in. Also note that the sent message has been seen and there is a countdown next to it.
The expiration time will remain for all future messages unless you tap on the clock icon and select “Off” to disable message expiry.
You can also remove or delete all Secret Conversations at once by returning to the menu we first visited in the tutorial to check the status of Secrete Conversations on your device–
after confirming it, all your Secret Conversations on your device will be removed.
Things You Should Know About Facebook Messenger:
- It doesn’t work with video, voice calling, or GIF files.
- You can send images through the encrypted chat.
- Facebook Secret Conversation uses encryption keys and are device specific, unlike the normal Messenger messages you can’t switch between your phone and your tablet and keep the same conversation going.
- The device you start a Secret Conversation on is the device you have to end it on, and you can only use it on one device at a time.
How To Use Facebook Secret Conversation Mode to Encrypt Facebook Messages
By default, once you upgrade your Facebook Messenger to the latest version the feature is may be automatically turned on. However, if you want to turn it on or off.
- Open Facebook Messenger on your device and tap the little silhouette “Me” icon in the lower corner.
- Scroll down until you see “Secret Conversation”. Tap it.
- Turn it ON if OFF “Secret Conversations”
How To Start New Facebook Messenger Secret Conversation
There are two ways to start a Secret Conversation: you can start one fresh, or you can switch an existing conversation over.To start a fresh one with a friend,
- Tap on the compose icon at the top of Messenger’s home screen.
- Select “Secret” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
- Once you select “Secret” just pick the friend you want to send the secret message to on the next page and you are in business.
How To Switch Over to a Secret Conversation From an Existing One
If you are already chatting with someone, and you want to switch to an encrypted conversation.- Open up the existing message you have with them and tap on their name in the top navigation bar.
- In the contact menu, select “Secret Conversation” located halfway down the screen.
Your conversation will now be converted to a “Secret Conversation” and you will notice a change from the regular conversations where your text bubbles are blue, in “Secret Conversation” mode they will be black.
You will also notice a split in the conversations, it doesn’t retroactively protect your existing conversation. Your regular non-encrypted Facebook Messenger chat continues and a new Secret Conversation chat starts.
How To Enable Self-Destructing Messages
When sending a message,- Tap on the clock icon located on the right hand side of the chat box.
- You will have the option to select how long the message should exist after it is first viewed before expiring. You can select anywhere from 5 seconds to 1 day.
The expiration time will remain for all future messages unless you tap on the clock icon and select “Off” to disable message expiry.
How To Confirm Your Facebook Messenger Secret Conversation Is Actually Secret
To confirm that your message are secret and encrypted, you will have to compare the device keys used by your device and your chat partner’s device.
Note: This device keys are specific to your physical device (and not to your Facebook login alone). This means if you switch between using Messenger on your iPhone to your iPad (or buy a new iPhone) the key will change with the hardware.
You and your chat partner keys should be the same.
How To Delete Facebook Messenger Secret Conversations
To delete a conversation tap your Secret Conversation chat partner’s name (as we just did to check the Device Keys) and then select “Delete Conversation”.
You can also remove or delete all Secret Conversations at once by returning to the menu we first visited in the tutorial to check the status of Secrete Conversations on your device–
Me > Secret Conversations–and select “Delete Secret Conversations”.
after confirming it, all your Secret Conversations on your device will be removed.