Telegram scores end-to-end encrypted voice-calling, uses emoji for key verification

by Peter Kostadinov / Mar 30, 2017, 8:13 AM

Telegram scores end-to-end encrypted voice-calling, uses emoji for key verification

Popular messaging app Telegram, which is often lauded as one of the more secure messaging platforms out there, has just scored an oft-requested feature that will likely appeal to its numerous fans - voice calls. Well, at least in some parts of the world: the feature is currently out in Western Europe, but the rest of the world will be getting these very soon.

Security has never been more... colorful

Similar to Telegram's messaging philosophy, voice calls also heavily rely on the end-to-end encryption that aims to eliminate man-in-the middle attacks and gets employed in Telegram's Secret Chats... with one welcome novelty that feels so 2017. Instead of relying on boring old-school key exchange, Telegram's voice-calling feature relies on unique sets of four emojis that acts as encryption keys.

To make sure that your call is "100% secure", you only need to compare the four emoji on your calling screen with the four emojis on the recipient's caller screen to make sure that the CIA is not eavesdropping on you. So... 2017!

Another feature that makes voice calling with the app feel contemporary is the fact that calls go through a neural network that gathers technical call data and aims to improve the experience and the overall quality for all users by optimizing different parameters.

There area a bunch of other new features, like granular control on who's allowed to call you and who isn't as well as certain interface changes and other improvements.

source: Telegram

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4 Comments

1. Soundjudgment

Posts: 370; Member since: Oct 10, 2016

Can anyone here explain... in Special English... just why matching the four emojis from one side of the convo to the other guarantees that the link is 'secure?'

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 9:21 AM 1

2. gotoAndDie

Posts: 82; Member since: Jun 13, 2015

These for emoj represent numbers; most people would probably agree that

posted on Mar 31, 2017, 12:10 AM 1

3. gotoAndDie

Wait where did the rest of my comment go

posted on Mar 31, 2017, 12:11 AM 1

4. gotoAndDie

Anyway, emoji are nicer than a cryptic code, which could have been used instead. When you talk to Ms. B, there is a chance that you're really talking to Mr. C who is sending your voice to Ms. B. If this happens, because every conversation has its own set of emoji, the emoji on your screen will be the same as those on Mr. C's, and Mr. C will have another set of emoji that matches with Ms. B's. So the set of emoji on your screen is now different from those on Ms. B's, and you can deduce that a Mr. C is probably listening to your call.