Secret chats
End-to-end encrypted chats on the website, in the PC app and in the iPhone app — only you and the other person can read them.
A secret chat is a private conversation with end-to-end encryption. The keys are created and stored on your device — your phone or your browser — so only you and the other person can read the messages. Even the MRIYU server sees only scrambled ciphertext, and it deletes that as soon as the message is delivered.
Secret chats are available in the iPhone app, on the website (on a computer and in the mobile version) and in the PC app. You can chat across any of them: for example, you on the website and the other person on an iPhone. They will come to the Android app later.
How to start
On the website and in the PC app: open Messages, click Message (the pencil at the top) and choose New secret chat, then pick a person. In the mobile version of the site, tap the lock icon to the right of the search field in the chat list.
On iPhone: the Chats tab → the lock icon at the top — New secret chat.
Or open the person's page and press Secret chat (on the website — the button under "Send message", in the mobile version — the lock button, on iPhone — in the ⋯ menu).
The other person needs to have turned on secret chats at least once — by opening the iPhone app or creating a secret chat on the website. Otherwise you'll see a message that they haven't turned on secret chats yet.
How it differs from a regular chat
| Regular chat | Secret chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Where messages are stored | on the server | only on two devices — yours and the other person's |
| On other devices | yes | no |
| After you log out | kept | erased from the device for good |
| Photos and files | yes | yes, encrypted on the device |
| Voice and video messages | yes | yes, also encrypted |
| Reactions | yes | yes, also encrypted |
| Voice and video calls | yes | yes, also encrypted |
Secret chats are marked in the list with a lock and a green name.
One chat — one device
Like Telegram's secret chats, a secret chat lives on the device where it was opened: in one browser or on one phone. It won't be in another browser, on another computer or in the phone app.
- On the website, the keys are created the first time you start a secret chat in that browser.
- A new chat started by the other person goes to whichever of your devices was online most recently.
- If you log out on the website or clear the browser data, the keys and messages in that browser are gone. Start a new chat.
Photos and files
Click the paperclip next to the message field and choose Photos or File (on the website you can also paste a file from the clipboard). The attachment is encrypted with its own key before sending — the server only gets ciphertext and deletes it as soon as the other person receives it (or after a week). Photos are downscaled and lose location data before sending. Up to 95 MB per file.
Voice and round video messages work like in a regular chat: hold the microphone button next to the message field and talk, release to send, slide left to cancel. A short tap switches the microphone to the camera (round video up to 1 minute). The recording is encrypted just like photos.
For voice messages from the website to play on an iPhone, the browser has to be able to record MP4 — recent Chrome, Edge, Safari and the PC app can. From Firefox the recording arrives on the iPhone as a file.
Reactions
On a phone, press and hold a message; on a computer, right-click it — a row of reactions appears at the top. Each of you can leave one reaction per message; tap the same one again to remove it. Reactions are encrypted — the server doesn't know the emoji or which message it was added to.
Replies and forwarding
Choose Reply in the message menu (on the website you can also double-click) — a quote appears above the message field; tapping a quote in the chat scrolls to the original. You can Forward only to another secret chat: in a regular chat the text would not be end-to-end encrypted. Attachments are re-encrypted when forwarded.
Typing and calls
- When the other person is typing, you'll see typing… in the chat header and in the list.
- The phone and camera buttons at the top of the chat start a secret voice or video call. Audio and video are encrypted between your devices; the server can't even see the connection details.
- The call screen shows Secret call and 4 emoji. If the other person sees the same emoji, nobody is intercepting the call.
- Secret calls are not added to your call history, but the chat itself shows a card: outgoing, incoming or missed, with the duration or "Call declined". It is stored only on your device.
Encryption key
In the chat, click ⋯ → Encryption key. You'll see 60 digits — the safety number. Compare it with the other person's screen in person or on a call: if the digits match, nobody has swapped the keys between you.
Deleting
⋯ → Delete chat removes the conversation for both of you, and it cannot be restored. If the other person deleted the chat, you'll see "The other person deleted this chat".
Good to know
- A chat is tied to the device: in a new browser, on a new phone or after reinstalling the app your old secret chats won't be there — start a new one.
- The server knows who talks to whom and when, but not what you write.