Facebook Messenger: more options with encrypted conversations

End-to-end encryption becomes much more useful in Facebook Messenger. Meta adds many features to encrypted conversations.

You no longer have to give up end-to-end encryption privacy on Facebook Messenger to enjoy some of the features you can’t live without. Meta has indeed integrated several features into its encrypted conversations. You can now choose topics, set profiles for group chats, and use custom emojis and reactions. Activity status and web link previews also work in this more secure mode, and Android users can use Floating Bubbles to chat when they’re in another app.

End-to-end encryption becomes much more useful in Facebook Messenger

You’ll also likely be more inclined to use encrypted conversations as Meta expands its testing to make end-to-end encryption the default option for Facebook Messenger. You’ll see all of these changes across some themes in the “coming months,”the company says. If you are participating in the test, you will receive a notification.

Meta started testing default encryption last August. At the time, Menlo Park had hoped to release this Facebook Messenger update sometime in 2023 but didn’t give a more precise date, but this future expansion brings Meta closer to that goal. The end-to-end encrypted messenger somewhat caught up with the unsecure version in early 2022, but there was still a lot to be done.

Meta adds many features to encrypted conversations

However, not everyone will be happy with this update. End-to-end encryption has been repeatedly attacked by authorities in many countries, the US, the UK and others. They are concerned that these encrypted conversations could be used to prepare operations without the authorities and other surveillance agencies being able to see anything. Politicians such as former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr have even asked Meta to lower the level of encryption by installing back doors. Meta has given up on this, and it’s clear today that the giant is determined to beef up privacy in its products.