Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, Element and Lupyd end-to-end encrypt chats and groups by default. Facebook Messenger does for personal chats, and Google Messages does for RCS chats. Telegram only does in opt-in Secret Chats. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Discord text and Instagram DMs are not end-to-end encrypted, although Discord now encrypts voice and video calls.
Almost every app says it is "encrypted". What matters is who holds the keys. With end-to-end encryption, messages are encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted on the recipient's devices, so the company running the service cannot read them. With encryption "in transit and at rest", the service decrypts your messages on its servers and can read them, hand them over, or lose them in a breach.
End-to-End Encryption by App (October 2026)
"Yes" means on by default. "Optional" means you or an admin must turn it on. "Partly" means only some conversations or call types are covered.
| App | 1:1 chats | Group chats | Calls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Everything is end-to-end encrypted by default, including group calls. |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Default for personal chats and calls. Cloud backups are only end-to-end encrypted if you turn that on. Some business chats are handled by a hosting provider. | |
| iMessage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Between Apple devices only (FaceTime for calls). Green-bubble SMS is not encrypted. |
| Google Messages (RCS) | Yes | Yes | No | Between Google Messages users with RCS on. iPhone-to-Android RCS encryption is rolling out with iOS 26.5 and depends on your carrier. SMS fallback is not encrypted. |
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | Partly | Yes | Personal one-on-one chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default since December 2023. |
| Telegram | Optional | No | Partly | Only manual one-on-one Secret Chats. Regular chats, groups and channels are not end-to-end encrypted. One-on-one calls are. |
| Instagram DMs | No | No | No | Meta removed the optional encrypted chats in May 2026. |
| Discord | No | No | Yes | Voice and video in DMs, group DMs, voice channels and Go Live are end-to-end encrypted (DAVE) since March 2026. Text is not, and Stage channels are excluded. |
| Slack | No | No | No | Encrypted in transit and at rest with keys Slack manages. Enterprise Key Management lets customers control keys but is not end-to-end encryption. |
| Microsoft Teams | No | No | Optional | Chats and channels are not end-to-end encrypted. One-on-one calls can be, if an admin allows it and both people turn it on; meetings need Teams Premium. |
| Google Chat | No | No | No | Encrypted in transit and at rest with keys Google manages. |
| Zoom | No | No | Optional | Meetings can be end-to-end encrypted if you enable it, which disables cloud recording, transcription and some other features. |
| Element (Matrix) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Default for direct messages and private rooms. Public rooms are usually unencrypted. |
| Lupyd | Yes | Yes | Partly | Signal Protocol for direct messages and MLS for group channels, by default; files are encrypted too. One-on-one calls are encrypted between devices; group calls are not end-to-end encrypted yet. |
Apps That Are End-to-End Encrypted by Default
- Signal: every chat, group and call, with minimal metadata kept on its servers.
- WhatsApp: personal chats, groups and calls. Turn on end-to-end encrypted backups as well, or your cloud backup is the weak point.
- iMessage and FaceTime: between Apple devices.
- Element and other Matrix clients: direct messages and private rooms.
- Lupyd: direct messages use the Signal Protocol and group channels use MLS (RFC 9420), with custom roles and channels for teams.
Apps That Are Not End-to-End Encrypted
Most workplace tools are in this group. Slack, Microsoft Teams chats and Google Chat encrypt data in transit and at rest, but the provider holds the keys, which is what lets them offer server-side search, compliance exports and integrations. Discord text and Telegram's regular chats and groups work the same way. Instagram DMs lost their optional encryption in May 2026.
That is a design choice, not necessarily a flaw, but it means anything your team writes there can be read by the provider, by anyone who breaches it, and by anyone with legal power over it. See secure internal communication for businesses for what that means at work.
Why Group Chats Are the Hard Part
Encrypting a conversation between two people is a solved problem. Groups are harder: every member needs the keys, keys must change when someone leaves, and it has to scale to hundreds of people. That is why Telegram has no encrypted groups and why many apps added them late. The IETF's Messaging Layer Security (MLS) standard was built for this, and it now underpins RCS encryption and Lupyd's group channels. More in why group chat security is different and Signal Protocol vs MLS.
How to Check Whether an App Is End-to-End Encrypted
- Read the security docs, not the homepage. "Encrypted", "bank-grade" and "secure" do not mean end-to-end encrypted.
- Ask who holds the keys. If the provider can reset your password and still show your old messages, it holds the keys.
- Check groups, calls and backups separately. Many apps encrypt one and not the others.
- Look for a safety number or key verification screen. Apps with real end-to-end encryption let you verify the other person's keys.
- Check whether it is on by default. Opt-in encryption is rarely used in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which messaging app is the most secure?
For personal use, Signal is the most widely recommended because everything is end-to-end encrypted by default and it keeps very little metadata. For teams that need channels, roles and multi-device use, choose a workspace that is end-to-end encrypted by default for groups, such as one built on MLS.
Is Slack end-to-end encrypted?
No. Slack encrypts data in transit and at rest, but Slack manages the keys. Enterprise Key Management lets customers control those keys, but it is not end-to-end encryption.
Is Microsoft Teams end-to-end encrypted?
Teams chats and channels are not. One-on-one calls can be end-to-end encrypted if an admin enables it and both people turn it on, and meetings can be with Teams Premium.
Is Discord end-to-end encrypted?
Discord voice and video calls have been end-to-end encrypted by default since March 2026, except Stage channels. Text messages are not end-to-end encrypted.
Are Instagram DMs end-to-end encrypted?
No. Instagram's optional encrypted chats were removed in May 2026.
Are texts between iPhone and Android encrypted?
SMS is not. RCS messages between iPhone and Android are starting to be end-to-end encrypted with iOS 26.5 and the latest Google Messages, depending on your carrier; look for the lock icon.
Final Takeaway
If a conversation would hurt you or your clients if it leaked, use an app that end-to-end encrypts it by default, including groups. For personal chats that is easy. For work, most popular tools still hold your keys, which is the gap Lupyd was built to close.
- ✓ Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, Element and Lupyd end-to-end encrypt one-on-one and group chats by default.
- ✓ Telegram only end-to-end encrypts opt-in one-on-one Secret Chats; its groups and channels are never end-to-end encrypted.
- ✓ Slack, Microsoft Teams chats, Google Chat, Discord text and Instagram DMs are not end-to-end encrypted; the provider holds the keys.
- ✓ Discord voice and video calls have been end-to-end encrypted by default since March 2026; Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer optional end-to-end encrypted calls or meetings.
- ✓ RCS messages between iPhone and Android are starting to be end-to-end encrypted with iOS 26.5, depending on the carrier.
- ✓ Check groups, calls and backups separately, and prefer apps where end-to-end encryption is on by default.
The workspace where nothing leaks
End-to-end encrypted channels and chat for your team, built on the Signal Protocol and MLS. Available on macOS, Windows, Linux and Android.
