Chatting safely on Friendstime: everyday tips
The text of private chats is end-to-end encrypted, but not everything in a chat is. These tips help you know the limits and use the right settings to get the most out of the protection.
Know what is encrypted — and what is not
The message text in private chats is end-to-end encrypted: it is encrypted on your device and the server stores ciphertext. The same holds for photos, videos, files and voice messages in one-to-one chats when both accounts have a key; we do not promise this for group chats. Calls are currently encrypted in transit only; end-to-end encryption for picture and sound is in a test phase. Text and attachments also go out unencrypted if the other person has no key yet. For confidential files there is the file vault in the browser, which encrypts a file with AES-256 before it is uploaded and keeps the key in the part of the link after the #. For photos the Android app offers view-once in one-to-one chats: the recipient can open the photo exactly once, after which the server deletes the file. It does not stop someone from photographing the screen.
Check the status and compare the safety number
In the Android app, the name or status line in the chat opens the encryption status. It shows “End-to-end encrypted” together with a safety number calculated from both keys, or “No encryption” if the other person has no keys yet — then your text goes out unencrypted as well. The app recommends comparing the number in person with your contact; if both codes are identical, the chat counts as verified. The same dialog lets you start a test that encrypts and decrypts a test message.
Judge group chats correctly
The text of a group chat is end-to-end encrypted only if all members use a current app or the web messenger; until then it is stored readable on the server. Older messages from before that stay readable, nothing is encrypted retroactively. View-once does not exist in groups. So discuss confidential matters in a private one-to-one chat rather than in a group, and add only people you trust.
Your account and your settings
Your private key is stored on the server protected by your password and is unlocked on your device with it, so the security of your chats also depends on the strength of your password. Use one you use nowhere else, and turn on two-factor sign-in and, if you like, a passkey (the steps are in the topic “Secure your account”). In the Android app you also decide who may write to you (everyone, friends only or nobody; ongoing conversations continue), whether read receipts are sent, whether your online status stays hidden, and whom you have blocked. Report suspicious profiles via “Report”.
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Frequently asked questions
Are photos and voice messages in chats encrypted?
In one-to-one chats yes, when both accounts have a key: they are end-to-end encrypted (ML-KEM-768 with AES-256-GCM). If the other person has no key yet, they go out unencrypted and are stored readable on the server. We do not promise this for group chats. The message text of private chats is end-to-end encrypted as well; for calls this holds only in part.
How do I know whether my chat is encrypted?
In the Android app, open the encryption status via the name or status line in the chat. It says “End-to-end encrypted” with a safety number, or “No encryption” if your contact has no keys yet.
Has the encryption been independently reviewed?
No, there has not been an independent review (audit) so far. Friendstime does not promise absolute security; to deliver messages the server has to know who writes to whom and when.