How to enable end-to-end encryption for Facebook Messenger chats

I was recently chatting with someone using Facebook Messenger on macOS when I received a warning that Safari couldn’t encrypt the messages and I should use a different browser or the Facebook Messenger app.

Of course, that piqued my curiosity. I was using the latest version of Safari on the latest version of MacOS Monterey. I checked which browsers are supported for end-to-end encryption on the official Facebook page and indeed Safari was on the list along with Chrome and Firefox.

However, there is a caveat.

Although both Chrome and Firefox support end-to-end encrypted chats on facebook.com, Safari only supports end-to-end encryption when using messenger.com.

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That struck me as odd, since Safari on facebook.com offers the option of encrypting individual chats.

So what gives? Even after clicking to enable end-to-end encryption in Safari on facebook.com, it shows the chat is encrypted.

Is it a mix-up or is Facebook unaware that the feature works in Safari on both facebook.com and messenger.com?

Anyway, I want to offer you a few options so you can be sure that your Facebook chats are covered with end-to-end encryption.

But first…why bother?

What is end-to-end encryption?

Essentially, end-to-end encryption adds another layer of security to your Messenger chats. If you enable E2E encryption, only you and anyone involved in the chat can see the communication. This means that anything you say cannot be intercepted by third parties and used against you.

For anyone serious about security and privacy, E2E encryption should be an absolute must, even for something as simple as a Facebook chat.

Note, however, that E2E encryption in Facebook Messenger is done chat-to-chat via a web browser. By default, at least in your web browser, all chats do not use E2E encryption, so you need to enable it manually. On the other hand, if you’re using the Messenger app, all chats have E2E enabled by default.

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How to enable E2E encryption in your web browser

How you do that? let me show you

requirements

Instead of using your web browser for Facebook Messenger chats, you should always choose to use the Messenger app. If you’re on a mobile device, you’re most likely using the Messenger app anyway. However, if you’re on a desktop or laptop, you’re most likely using a web browser, which means your chats aren’t using E2E encryption.

For macOS, you can install the Facebook Messenger app from the App Store. For Windows, you can download the installer file and run the app in no time. Unfortunately, if you’re using Linux, you’re out of luck as there is no Facebook Messenger desktop app (which is ironic considering how much open-source software Facebook requires). However, on Linux, you can enable end-to-end encryption on a chat-by-chat basis in facebook.com in both Firefox and Chrome.

To reiterate, when you use the Facebook Messenger app, all of your chats use E2E encryption. If you are using a supported web browser, you must enable it for each chat.

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And that’s all you need to use Facebook end-to-end encryption to ensure the privacy and security of your discussions. While this doesn’t stop passers-by from reading your chats, it does ensure they can’t be intercepted and used against you by third parties.