So, before we get to it, some of you are probably wondering what is the difference between server-side encryption and end-to-end encryption. Well, simply put, by default, your chats are encrypted. Telegram syncs your data (messages, media, and groups) between your devices, and sends them to its servers. Nobody can access them except, well, yourself and Telegram. End-to-end encrypted data, on the other hand, is not accessible by Telegram (as it’s not on the company’s servers), only you, and the person it was sent to. That’s what the ‘Secret Chat’ feature brings to the table. Do note that you cannot forward Secret Chat messages, and that the other person will be notified if you take a screenshot. Also, if you delete a particular message in a Secret Chat, it will be deleted for both users. A Secret Chat can only be started one-on-one, not in a group chat. Another thing to note is that Secret Chat messages are only available on the device you’re currently on. There is also a self-destruct timer as an option, which we’ll also talk about in this article. That being said, we’ll show you how this feature works one step at a time, and will also include some screenshots to guide you.
How to use the encrypted Secret Chat feature in Telegram
The first thing you need to do is open the app itself, of course. I presume you’re already using the app, as this is not a setup tutorial. That being said, once you open the app, and are on its main page, tap the pencil icon in the bottom-right corner.
This will open the ‘New Message’ menu. In it, you’ll see the ‘New Secret Chat’ option at the top, it’s the second in line. Tap it.
In the ‘New Secret Chat’ menu, you’ll see all your contacts, that Telegram pulled from your contacts list. Choose the one you’d like to start a Secret Chat with.
We can’t really take screenshots from this point on, as Telegram blocks them in the Secret Chat mode, you end up getting black screens instead. So from this point on, we’ll include actual pictures of a phone running Telegram in a Secret Chat mode. In the image below, you can see the chat itself with a Secret Chat activated. You’ll see a brief explanation of the feature here. Now, from this screen, you can set a self-destruct timer for messages, if you want. You’ll need to tap the timer icon in the bottom-right corner of the contact’s profile image, as highlighted in the image below.
A new menu will open, allowing you to set the duration of a self-destruct timer. For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll set it to 1 second, and then tap the ‘Done’ option.
Once your self-destruct timer is set, you’ll be notified within the message itself. Now, if you’d like to disable the Secret Chat interaction with the contact you’re currently chatting with, you’ll need to delete that chat, it’s that simple. Simply tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
A pop-up menu will appear, and the last option in it will be the ‘Delete chat’ one. Choose that one.
Telegram will ask you to confirm your choice via a new pop-up window. From that window, you can also delete the Secret Chat for the person you were talking with, all you need to do is tick the checkbox that is on offer. Once you’ve done that, simply tap the ‘Delete Chat’ button in the bottom-right corner.
