Screenshot: Pranay Parab
Unlike apps such as Signal and WhatsApp, Telegram’s chats aren’t end-to-end encrypted by default—that means that your chats aren’t truly private out of the box. However, Telegram does have a feature called Secret Chats, which is protected by end-to-end encryption.
You can enable encryption by opening any chat in Telegram, tapping the contact’s name > three-dots icon > Start Secret Chat. Your contact will receive a secret chat request, and once they approve it, the two of you will be private.
There are some inconveniences with Telegram’s Secret Chat feature, though, including that it doesn’t work on all devices, so you may be able to start these chats from your phone but not from Telegram’s desktop apps. Secret Chat is also device-specific, which means that if you start a chat from your iPhone, you won’t be able to see it on your Android.
