End-to-end encryption, explained without the jargon
You'll see "end-to-end encrypted" in every GistUp chat. Here is what it means, in plain words.
The sealed envelope
Imagine every message you send is locked in a box before it leaves your phone. Only the phone you are sending to has the key. GistUp's servers act like a courier: they carry the locked box and hand it over, but they have no key, so they can't open it. Nobody else can either: not your network provider, not a hacker who breaks into a server, and not us.
GistUp uses the Signal Protocol, the same encryption used by Signal and WhatsApp, and trusted by security experts around the world. It is on for every chat, group, photo, video and voice note. There is nothing to switch on.
What GistUp can see
To deliver a box, the courier needs an address. So our servers know your phone number, name and username, who a message is for, when it was sent and how big it is, and who is in each group so group messages reach everyone.
What GistUp can never see
- What your messages say
- Your photos, videos and voice notes
- Your profile photo and social links
- Polls, votes, events and pinned messages in your groups
- Your chat backup, which is sealed with a 64-digit key only you hold
Checking for yourself
Every chat has a 60-digit safety code. Open a chat, tap ⓘ, then Safety code, and compare the numbers with your friend in person or on a call. If they match, nobody is in the middle. If the code ever changes, GistUp tells you.
What isn't private
Some parts of GistUp are public on purpose: gists, Live Rooms, and communities or groups whose admins choose to list them in search. We always show you when something is public, so you can decide what to share.
The full details are in our Privacy Policy.