Ever looked at your WhatsApp messages and thought to yourself what exactly is ensuring that they will not fall in the wrong hands? Okay, strap in, now we are going to the exciting world of encrypted messaging – and yes, we will even demonstrate to you how to read encrypted WhatsApp messages when you actually need to do so.
What does Encryption Actually Mean?
WhatsApp has been putting your words in an online fortress known as end-to-end encryption since April 2016. Consider it like making your casual “What shall I make it dinner?” text into some secret code which is only crackable by you and your recipient. It is similar to the passing of notes in the classroom except that you are not folding paper you are using sophisticated cryptography. Fancy, right?
Ultimately, the best part is that even WhatsApp cannot read your messages. They are just delivering the envelopes in sealed form without the need to look inside. Your messages are encrypted to a nonsense (so-called ciphertext, if you want to sound more tech-savvy to your friends) on your phone and can only be decrypted on the device of your recipient.
The Secret Handshake Nobody Sees
The WhatsApp app initially creates two digital keys, one public and the other one private when you first install the app. The public key is comparable to your home address to which people can send you mail but private key is the literal key to your front door which you never leave.
Each time you initiate a chat, your phone and the phone of your friend do this silent handshake and pass on the public keys at a rate that will not even allow you to say the word encryption. That is where your message is encrypted with their public key, transmitted over the WhatsApp servers as encrypted jibberish and decrypted only after reaching their device. It’s digital magic, really.
So, Can You Actually Decrypt These Messages?
This is where the interest arises. Breaking WhatsApp encryption is almost impossible and without due authorization, undoubtedly criminal. But how to read encrypted WhatsApp messages legally is a story of a different kind.
How to read encrypted WhatsApp messages
Keep in mind that you are only to gain access to the messages of another person owing to some legitimate purposes, like parental control or loss of your data. Privacy is not merely significant, but sacred.
Method 1: WhatsApp Web
It is so easy and your grandma can do it (no offense, grandmas are computer savvy nowadays!). Go to the computer web.whatsapp.com and you will find a QR code staring back at you. Take your phone, open WhatsApp, tap on those three dots at the corner, then tap the option of Linked Devices and scan that code. Boom! The complete chat history is shown on the large screen.
The beauty here? You are not cracking any encryption – your phone is the one that unlocks it and it is the web browser that reflects what has been already decrypted. It is fully legal, fully safe, and is ideal when you are tired of having to peep at your phone screen.
Method 2: Parental Control Apps
Apps such as AirDroid Parental Control provide a valid solution to the parents who require monitoring the virtual lives of their children. You will download the control app to your phone and a companion app to the phone of your child and pair them both with a code that was generated. Once installed, you are able to spy on WhatsApp messages as they come to the target gadget.
The trick here is that this method is effective since on the phone of the child, the messages are already decrypted, you are only looking at them remotely. It is as though one has a window to what they are using but with their approval (any form of covert surveillance on anyone is creepy and illegal).
Method 3: The Tech Expert Route
It involves the process of rooting an Android system and this like unlocking the system to the level of accessing the system. To do this, you will have to remove the encrypted files of the database in the internal storage of the phone, transfer these files to your personal computer and a special key file and decrypt them with the help of decryption software.
This method is technical, has to be properly authorized, and has severe consequences, including voiding of warranties and breaking the security of devices. There is no need to do this unless you are a tech guru who has valid reasons.
Method 4: Restoring Encrypted Backups
Lost your messages? This method’s your friend. WhatsApp stores your chats and you can restore them by reinstalling the application on the same device or any other device using the same phone number. The backups are stored in the phone storage and are restored in the first set up on reinstallation.
Why Should You Care About Encryption?
In addition to knowing how to decipher encrypted messages in WhatsApp, it is important to appreciate the importance of this encryption. It is not only about the fact that you can keep your embarrassing typos secret (although it is a plus). Encryption defends journalists who publish sources that are sensitive, activists who are planning their activities in repressive governments, corporations that are discussing confidential secrets, and ordinary citizens who have shared intimate moments.
It is your online defence against online attacks, online surveillance and online data attacks. Note that the servers used by WhatsApp store your encrypted messages. Even in the event that the hackers crack the servers, they will receive nothing, but gibberish scrambled messages.
Conclusion
Knowing how to decrypt WhatsApp messages in encrypted form is not about hacking security, but it is about learning to navigate the real-life situations when this feature is required and justified and should be allowed. Encryption is not your foe, it is your protector in a world that is constantly becoming more interconnected. Be responsible with the use of these methods, and keep in mind: there is great responsibility that comes with great digital power. Your communications are worthy of protection as are those of other people.
