Your messages & files are end‑to‑end encrypted

Direct messages, group chats, and every file you share on nvira are encrypted on your device before they're sent. Not even we can read them — only you and the people you're talking to can.

End‑to‑end encryption is active on your account
New

Attachments are now end‑to‑end encrypted

Every photo, video, and file you upload in a DM or group chat is now scrambled on your device before it's sent — exactly like your messages. Our servers only ever store unreadable ciphertext, and older attachments quietly re‑encrypt themselves the next time you open a chat.
Rolled out August 2026

How it works
1
Your browser generates a private key
The first time you open Messages, your browser creates a unique encryption key for your account. The key is locked with your account password and stored that way — nvira's servers only ever see the locked version, never the key itself.
2
Messages are scrambled before they leave your device
When you hit send, your message — and any photo, video, or file you attach — is encrypted right there in your browser using your key and the recipient's public key. What actually travels to our servers — and sits in our database — is unreadable ciphertext.
3
Only the recipient can unscramble it
The message is only decrypted on the other person's device, using their own key. For group chats, everyone in the group holds their own copy of the group's key — sealed individually so only current members can use it.
Your password is what unlocks it

Every time you open Messages in a new browser or after signing back in, you'll be asked to confirm your password once — that's what unlocks your key on that device. It's used only in your browser to do this; it isn't sent anywhere new.

Changing your password in Settings re-locks your key with the new password automatically, in the same step — your message history stays exactly as readable as it was before.

What's protected right now
Encrypted
  • The text of your DMs
  • The text of group messages
  • Photos, videos & file attachments New
  • Replies & edits
  • Message previews in your sidebar
Not yet
  • GIFs & stickers from the picker (already public)
  • Who you're messaging & when
  • Voice/video call metadata
Like other encrypted messengers, nvira can still see who you're talking to and when — just not what's being said or the files you share. One exception: GIFs and stickers from the picker are already-public content hosted elsewhere, so those aren't encrypted.
Frequently asked
Can nvira's admins read my messages?
No. Once a conversation is encrypted, our database only ever holds scrambled ciphertext — we don't have the keys to unscramble it, so full access to the database wouldn't reveal what was said.
What about messages sent before encryption was turned on?
Older messages get quietly re-encrypted the next time you open that conversation, once everyone in it has set up encrypted messaging. Until then they're readable as before — nothing is lost or hidden from you.
Are my photos and files encrypted too?
Yes — as of August 2026, anything you upload in a DM or group chat (images, videos, documents) is encrypted in your browser before it leaves your device, so we only ever store scrambled files. Files you'd already sent re-encrypt themselves the next time that chat is opened. The one exception is GIFs and stickers from the built-in picker: those are already-public clips served from elsewhere, so there's nothing private to lock.
What happens if I change my password?
Nothing — changing your password from Settings → Security automatically re-locks your existing key with the new password in the same step, so your message history keeps working exactly as before.
Does this work for group chats?
Yes. Each group has its own key, individually shared with each member. If someone leaves the group, the key rotates so they can no longer read anything sent afterward — but they keep access to what they already saw while they were a member.
Is this the same as Signal or WhatsApp?
The core idea is the same — public-key encryption so only participants can read a message. It's a simpler implementation without some of the extra protections those apps add over time (like automatically rotating keys for every single message), which is honest to say up front.
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