First of all, texts are not encrypted. This means that your text message is sent as is to the recipient. To elucidate, say you send a text message to a friend: “Hey, how’s it going?” This message is sent through the network exactly as shown. However, if it were encrypted, it could read something like “rjhnc sjsdg rl dsdd#.”

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While SMS lacks this encryption, WhatsApp has recently implemented an end-to-end encryption policy that makes texting much safer. Even if law enforcement interrogates WhatsApp about a certain message, they won’t be able to assist because they have no access to the decryption code.

This end-to-end encryption is proliferating in popularity throughout social media networks. Apple’s FaceTime and iMessage have recently added end-to-end encryption. A third party app called Signal has also added this protection by default to their app.

While regular text messaging isn’t encrypted at all, there are some messengers that only offer “in-transit” encryption, leaving them vulnerable to third party hacking. Skype, Yahoo messenger, Snapchat, Kik, Skype, and Facebook Messenger are just a few of the apps that offer this protection. While in-transit encryption is safer than SMS texting, it is not as secure as end-to-end encryption.

In order to assure maximum safety for messaging, ensure that you and your texting partner are both using the same end-to-end encrypted messaging service such as WhatsApp. This will allow both sent and received texts to have maximum encrypted security.

Despite the advanced coding on end-to-end encryption, hackers can still pick up bits and pieces of your messages in some cases. For instance, just by monitoring the data of the encryption, some hackers can tell if someone is cheating on their spouse, selling illicit substances, or is a member of an organization.

For newer models of iPhones, device encryption is built into the software, so that you only need to “lock” your phone with a passcode or fingerprint to enable encryption. Because of Google’s open platform, it hasn’t been easy to require that all Android phones be encrypted by default. However, newer Nexus and Galaxy devices and many devices with Marshmallow 6.0 have encryption enabled by default. Like the iPhone, you only need a passcode or fingerprint to activate device encryption. You can do this by going to your phone’s settings. Click “security.” Create a “screen lock.”

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But if you have an older phone or operating system, that doesn’t mean your device doesn’t offer data encryption. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you’re trying to encrypt an older phone model, doing so could result in a performance lag. In addition, the only way to decrypt your phone is by performing a factory reset. With that in mind, the following will help you to activate device encryption.

The first step is to create a “screen lock” for your device. This won’t automatically enable encryption for older models, as stated. Next, go to your phone’s settings. Click “security” and then “encrypt phone.” Before you encrypt your phone, your phone will inform you of what you’re about to do. It will tell you to charge your phone and to make sure it remains plugged in. Encryption could take more than an hour, depending on how much data is on your phone. In addition, you can encrypt any SD cards connected to the device.

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In addition to encrypting your phone, download PSafe Total to ensure that your device is protected against malware 24/7. Furthermore, with PSafe Total’s anti-theft feature, you can even track, block, locate, or erase your data in the event that your phone gets lost or stolen.

However, Facebook has a long way to go if they wish to reclaim dominance over the messenger market. WhatsApp already has over 1 billion users worldwide. WeChat is the mobile messenger system popular in China. Line is a common messenger system in Japan, and Kakao is used widely throughout South Korea. There is hope for Facebook Messenger when you consider its other unique innovations, though. For instance, you can now conveniently request an Uber for you or your friend through the application. The messenger app can also show GIFs.

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Facebook Messenger has yet to bring in any profit, because Facebook does not try to collect revenue until a feature accumulates 1 billion users. In late 2015, Facebook Messenger fell short with 700 million users.

Facebook is already looking ahead at future endeavors that could help Facebook Messenger profit if it does reach 1 billion users. At Facebook’s developer conference in April, the idea of “bots” was introduced. These bots would represent local agencies that would message a user if they were nearby. The bots would utilize algorithms to tailor their messages to the desired audience. There could also be news bots that would message their frequent viewers whenever there is breaking news.

Facebook is constantly attempting to innovate their messenger so that they can surpass the competition. Facebook Messenger’s encryption, among several other innovations presented by Facebook, should be sufficient to keep Facebook Messenger competitive.