Facebook recently enabled end-to-end encryption by default for all Messenger users. This means that all communications on Messenger, including chats and video calls, will be kept private between the sender and the recipient.
So what is end-to-end encryption, by the way? End-to-end encryption is a security protocol that encrypts the data exchanged between communicating devices, ensuring that third parties will not be able to access them. Without this extra layer of security, anyone can read your messages as long as they have access to your account.
With end-to-end encryption enabled in Messenger, other people will not be able to open and read your conversations even if they are logged in (or can login) to your account. All communications will remain private between you and the recipient alone.
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Can You Turn Off End-to-End Encryption in Messenger?
Many Facebook users are wondering if it’s possible to remove or disable the end-to-end encryption feature in Messenger. Well, I have both good and bad news for you.
The bad news is that you cannot disable end-to-end encryption in Messenger. It’s a permanent security feature of Messenger chats from now on, so there’s no way to disable it on the part of the user. There are no secret techniques to turn off Messenger end-to-end encryption – unless your name is Mark Zuckerberg.
The good news is that, even with end-to-end encryption enabled, it will not affect your normal, daily communications with your friends and family. Just make sure to enable end-to-end encryption properly so that your chat history will be saved and be accessible on all your devices.
How to Turn On End-to-End Encryption in Messenger
If you haven’t enabled end-to-end encryption yet, don’t worry because Messenger will automatically request you to activate it.
Step 1: Upon opening Messenger, you will be greeted with a “Messenger is getting an upgrade” prompt. It tells you that Messenger will have new messaging controls and an extra layer of security via end-to-end encryption. Just click the “CONTINUE” button.
Step 2: You will be asked to create a PIN which you will use to access and restore your chat history. Press “CREATE PIN” to continue.
Step 3: Now, enter your preferred 6-digit PIN. Remember this PIN because you’ll need it when you switch to another device. Don’t use a PIN that is easy to guess, such as your birthday or anniversary.
Step 4: Confirm your PIN selection by entering it again.
That’s it! You have successfully enabled Messenger end-to-end encryption. From now on, all your messages will be encrypted and stored remotely. If you login to Messenger on another device, these encrypted messages can only be accessed once you enter your PIN.
What about your old messages and conversations in Messenger? Old unencrypted messages (the ones that are already there before end-to-end encryption is enabled) are still accessible even if you don’t input your PIN. However, you’ll need to enter your PIN in order to view encrypted messages.
If you don’t want to create a 6-digit PIN, you can choose any of the following alternatives:
- Continue with Google – Create a key in Google Drive to automatically access chat history on any Android device.
- Store on device only – Messages will be stored on your device only, and cannot be accessed if you switch to another phone or computer.
Just select “MORE OPTIONS” when prompted by Messenger, and then select any of the two options aside from “Create a 6-digit PIN.”
How to Delete or Turn Off Secure Storage
I’ve noticed that some YouTube videos are teaching users to turn off secure storage in order to disable end-to-end encryption. This is incorrect and misleading. Turning off secure storage will NOT disable end-to-end encryption in Messenger, but could result in the loss of important messages.
By turning off secure storage, any new encrypted messages will not be backed up remotely on Facebook’s servers. Instead, those messages will be stored on your device, and if your device’s internal storage runs low, messages that are older than 90 days may be deleted.
Furthermore, you will not be able to access your chat history if you lost your device or switch to another phone.
If you still want to delete and/or turn off secure storage, probably because you don’t want your messages to be accessible on other devices, there’s an easy way to do it.
Step 1: Open the Messenger app and then tap the hamburger menu on the upper-left corner.
Step 2: Next, tap the Settings icon as shown on the screenshot image below.
Step 3: Scroll down and select “Privacy & safety.”
Step 4: Next, choose “End-to-end encrypted chats.”
Step 5: Select “Message storage.”
Step 6: At the bottom of the screen, you can see two options:
- Turn off secure storage – New end-to-end encrypted messages will not be backed up remotely.
- Delete and turn off secure storage – Your previously backed up messages will be deleted, and any new encrypted messages will not be backed up remotely.
Choose your preferred option by tapping it.
Step 7: An alert message will ask if you want to continue. Click “Continue” to proceed with deleting or turning off secure storage on all your devices.
You can re-enable secure storage anytime by clicking “Turn on secure storage” and then entering your PIN. Any new encrypted messages will be automatically backed up to the remote server.
How to Remove a Device from End-to-End Encrypted Chats
If you want to remove a device from end-to-end encrypted chats, you can do that, too.
After a device is removed, it will be signed out of Messenger and it will no longer receive new encrypted messages. The device can be logged in again and can only retrieve encrypted messages by inputting the PIN.
Step 1: Open the Messenger app on your phone, and then tap the hamburger menu on the upper-left corner.
Step 2: Afterwards, tap the Settings icon.
Step 3: Scroll down and select “Privacy & safety.”
Step 4: Next, choose “End-to-end encrypted chats.”
Step 5: Select “Security alerts.”
Step 6: Tap the “View all logins” option.
Step 7: You’ll see a list of devices that can send and receive end-to-end encrypted messages and calls. Select the device that you want to remove by tapping it (in this example, I selected “Messenger – iPhone 15 Pro Max”). Take note that you cannot remove the device that you’re currently using.
Step 8: Press the “LOG OUT” button.
Step 9: Finally, tap “Log Out” to remove the device from end-to-end encrypted chats and log it out of Messenger.
Keep in mind that “Facebook” and “Messenger” are different. So if you log out a device from Messenger, it will remain logged in to Facebook. If you want to remove a device from Facebook, you’ll need to do it in the Facebook settings.
How to Download Your End-to-End Encrypted Messages
If you didn’t disable secure storage, you can download your end-to-end encrypted messages using a computer or laptop (you can’t download messages on your mobile device yet). It’s a good idea to download your messages regularly just in case your encrypted messages and attachments are accidentally deleted.
Step 1: To download your end-to-end encrypted messages and attachments, just go to https://www.facebook.com/secure_storage/dyi. Note: You must use a computer or laptop.
Step 2: Click the “Download file” button.
Step 3: Enter your Facebook account password when prompted. Click “Confirm.”
Depending on the size of the backup, it will take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes for your download to be ready.
Step 4: Click the “Download” button to download your end-to-end encrypted messages and attachments in a ZIP archive file.
You can use a ZIP file utility such as PeaZip to extract the messages and attachments (files, images and other media) from the ZIP archive file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my old messages after I turn on end-to-end encryption?
Your old unencrypted messages will not be affected after you enable end-to-end encryption, and you can still access them across all your devices.
How do I know that a chat is end-to-end encrypted?
You will know that a chat is end-to-end encrypted when you see this notice: “Messenger upgraded the security of this chat. Messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption.”
Why are some chats not encrypted?
End-to-end encryption is being rolled out slowly to all Messenger users, so some of your friends may still have unencrypted chats.
Can I message someone who has not yet enabled end-to-end encryption?
Yes, you can message users who don’t have end-to-end encryption yet. You can still chat with them the normal unencrypted way.
I forgot my encryption PIN. How can I reset it?
You can easily reset your Messenger encryption by following these steps:
- Open the Messenger app and tap the hamburger menu on the upper-left corner.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Choose “Privacy & safety.”
- Tap “End-to-end encrypted chats.”
- Select “Message storage.”
- Press “Reset PIN.”
- Enter your new PIN.
Wrapping Up
Let’s be honest – end-to-end encryption can be quite inconvenient and annoying. It’s a hassle to create and enter your PIN, and some users have even complained about a few bugs such as the inability to view shared photos.
But let’s just look at the bright side. This additional security feature ensures that nobody else can eavesdrop on your conversations – even those with access to your Facebook account. This is great news for those who value Internet privacy and security.
On the other hand, your significant other may not like it if he/she can’t read your Messenger chats. So the easy solution is to share your PIN with your wife or girlfriend so that she can still read your encrypted conversations.
I hope that this article clears any misconceptions that you may have about Messenger’s end-to-end encryption feature. Remember that you cannot turn off end-to-end encryption, but you can learn to live with it.
