Viber has announced that it will provide complete privacy by encrypting all communication, following the footsteps of WhatsApp.

End-to-end encryption means that all data sent in the form of messages, photos, video or voice is encrypted as soon as it is sent from one device and received by another, so that no third party – including Viber – can access it. Only the sending and recipient devices have the key to decipher the encryption code.

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The new feature will be made available to users automatically. Users will see a lock icon in the text entry box in chats. Viber also added a few extra features for those who want added protection.

The gray lock icon means that the communication is being protected using the service’s standard E2EE. In addition, each user also has a cryptographic key associated with their device that can be used to authenticate their identity to other Viber users. When this feature's in use, the lock turns green. If it turns red instead, that can mean someone is trying to listen in on your conversation through a man-in-the-middle attack.

“We have been working on this for a long time and are proud that our users can confidently use Viber without fear of their messages being intercepted,” Viber’s chief operations officer, Michael Shmilov, said in a blog post.

The updated app also offers a number of other new features. Users can select to hide away specific chats from the main screen so no one knows they exist. They can be unlocked with a personalized PIN number.

The new privacy capabilities come with the latest version of the company's software. To use the new encryption feature, users must update their devices with fresh code. The update is rolling out globally over the next two weeks.

TagsViber, End-to-End Encryption, WhatsApp, Viber hidden chats