End-to-End Encryption Explained in Plain English

"Encrypted" gets used for very different things. Here's what each kind means.

#Three kinds of encryption

1. **In transit** — the connection between your phone and the server is encrypted (HTTPS/TLS). Eavesdroppers on the network can't read it, but the server can. 2. **At rest** — data is encrypted on the server's disks. Helps if a disk is stolen; the service can still read it. 3. **End-to-end (E2E)** — messages are encrypted on your device and only decrypted on the recipient's device. **The server only ever sees scrambled data.**

#How end-to-end encryption works (simply)

Each device creates a pair of keys: a **public key** it shares and a **private key** it never shares. To send you a message, my device locks it with your public key; only your private key can unlock it. The server passes along the locked box without being able to open it.

#What E2E protects

- Message **content** from the service, hackers who breach the server, and anyone intercepting traffic.

#What it doesn't protect

- **Metadata** — who talked to whom and when (depends on the app). - **Your device** — if someone unlocks your phone, they can read your chats. - **The other person** — they can screenshot or forward.

#The trade-off nobody mentions

If the server can't read your messages, it **can't restore them** either. Lose all your devices and E2E history is gone. That's why:

• Signal and WhatsApp rely on device transfers or encrypted phone backups.
• Telegram and Yapie sync regular chats through the server (so they work on every device and can be recovered) and offer secret chats for E2E.

#Using E2E in Yapie

Start a **secret chat** from **New message › Secret chat**. Secret chats are end-to-end encrypted, stay on your devices, and move to a new device only when you **link** it. Read [when to use secret chats](/blog/secret-chats-when-to-use).

#Frequently asked questions

What does end-to-end encrypted mean?

Only the people in the conversation can read the messages; the service in between can't.

Is end-to-end encryption the same as HTTPS?

No. HTTPS encrypts the connection to the server; end-to-end encryption hides content from the server too.

Why aren't all Yapie chats end-to-end encrypted?

Regular chats are stored on the server so they sync across devices and can be recovered. Use secret chats when you want end-to-end encryption.