What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption encrypts data on the sending device and decrypts it only on the receiving device. The service provider, the network, and any server in between handle ciphertext they cannot read. The provider transports your data without being able to inspect its contents.
- Topic
- Cryptography
- Also called
- E2EE
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Reviewed
On this page
How it relates to zero-knowledge
The terms overlap but are not identical. End-to-end encryption describes data in transit between parties. Zero-knowledge describes an architecture where the provider cannot read data at rest either. A service can be end-to-end encrypted for messages while still holding keys to other data it stores for you.
What still leaks
Metadata. Who you communicate with, when, how often, and from where usually remains visible to the provider even when content does not. For a password manager, the equivalent metadata is the list of services you hold accounts with.
Sources
These primary references support the terminology and current security guidance used in this definition.
