How Encryption Works
Simple, honest, and practical
Encryption is the process of turning your messages into unreadable code for anyone except the intended recipient.
privis.app offers three different levels so you can choose the right balance between security and convenience.
Stay private and keep your messages secure …
The Three Security Modes
Easy Mode
Good for everyday chats
Convenient encryption where messages are protected while traveling between you and our servers. Suitable when maximum security is not critical. Fast and easy to use.
Medium Mode
Recommended for most users
Stronger protection: the encryption key is derived from a passphrase that only you and your chat partner share and that never leaves your devices. Still user-friendly. Even we cannot read the messages.
Hard Mode
Maximum privacy
True end-to-end encryption using ECDH (Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman). The keys are generated on your devices, so even we cannot read the messages. Best choice for highly sensitive conversations.
Key Technical Concepts (Simplified)
End-to-End Encryption
Only you and the person you’re chatting with can read the messages. The service provider (us) cannot access the content in Hard Mode.
Keys generated on your device
In Hard Mode the encryption keys are created on your own device and never sent to us, so the content is unreadable to anyone but you and your partner.
Important Honest Notes
- No encryption system is 100% unbreakable forever — technology evolves.
- Hard Mode is the strongest, but it requires both users to be online at the same time for initial key exchange.
- Metadata (who talks to whom and when) is harder to fully hide — we minimize what we collect. Usernames are hashed so we cannot identify the users even if we knew who is behind a username.
- We regularly review and update our encryption methods as new threats appear.
Try different encryption levels yourself
Create a free account and test what works best for you.