India’s homegrown messaging app Arattai has taken a significant leap forward today. Developed by Zoho Corporation, the app has rolled out its much-anticipated end-to-end encryption (E2EE) feature for one-on-one direct chats. The update began deploying Tuesday night IST, perfectly aligning with today’s date. With this, users’ messages will now be encrypted directly on their devices before transmission, ensuring that neither Arattai nor Zoho can access them. Only the sender and recipient will be able to read the content.
This upgrade marks a pivotal moment for Arattai, positioning it as a robust privacy-centric alternative to global giants like WhatsApp and Signal, all while proudly upholding its “Made in India” ethos.
Key Highlights of the Update: How E2EE Works
Arattai’s new feature elevates privacy to unprecedented levels. Here’s a breakdown of the essentials:
- How to Activate It? Immediately update the app via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to the latest version. Urge your contacts to do the same for seamless encrypted conversations.
- Android: Version 1.33.6 or higher
- iOS: Version 1.17.23 or higher
- Desktop: Version 1.0.7 or higher
- Transition Process: If both you and your contact are on the latest version, new encrypted chat sessions will kick off automatically. Existing non-encrypted chats will be archived for continuity. If a contact is still on an older version, you can keep using the current chat for up to 3 days. Post that, all users will be migrated to the updated system, making E2EE mandatory.
- Upcoming Features: Group chat encryption is slated for rollout in the coming weeks (starting with smaller groups). Encrypted chat backups will arrive in approximately 2 weeks. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has hinted at “many more cool features” following the transition, including potential additions like auto-message delete timers.
Zoho rigorously tested the update internally with over 6,000 employees prior to the public launch, ensuring a smooth and secure experience.