WhatsApp adds end-to-end encryption to all platforms

The world's most popular messaging app WhatsApp has rolled out end-to-end encryption for all its platform- Android, iOS and Windows Phone that brings better security and privacy features for all communications, protecting more than 1 billion WhatsApp users.

In 2014 WhatsApp in collaboration with Open Whisper Systems, rolled out encryption for text messages, but now the protection is extended to everything, including voice calls, videos, photos, files and group chats. All of them are now end-to-end encrypted by default. Now the messages can't be read by anyone including WhatsApp, cyber-criminals and law-enforcement agencies.

After getting the latest version of WhatsApp, when you and your friend start a conversation, you'll get a message saying “Messages you send to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption. Tap for more info.” All the messages on WhatsApp are now secured with a lock, and only you and the recipient have the special key needed to unlock the messages.

"The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us," WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton wrote in a blog post.

To know the in-depth technical explanation of the end-to-end encryption head over to white paper here