Frequently Asked Questions

A secure messaging app for people and organisations that need their conversations to stay private. It combines end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, group chat, file sharing, secure email and private browsing in one application, for iOS, Android and desktop.

Pryvate Messenger is made by Criptyque Limited, a company registered in Jersey (registration number 113878), with its office at IFC 5, Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3BY. Pryvate’s secure communications engine also powers Pryvate’s business and enterprise platform at pryvatenow.com.

Same technology, two products. Pryvate Messenger is the app for individuals and small teams. pryvatenow.com is Pryvate’s platform for organisations — secure communications, scheduling and location — deployed in their own cloud or infrastructure. If you are a business looking for managed deployment, user administration or integration into your own systems, start at pryvatenow.com.

Pryvate is built so that nobody but you and the people you are talking to can read your messages or hear your calls — including Pryvate. Beyond encryption, it adds screenshot detection, self-destructing messages, delete-for-all, remote wipe for managed devices, anonymous registration, and anti-blocking technology that keeps the app working on restricted networks.

Yes. Secure messaging, voice and video calls between Pryvate users, group chat and file sharing are free. Paid plans add off-net calling to ordinary phone numbers, a Pryvate on-net number for anonymous use, and business features such as user administration and closed user groups. Current plans and prices are shown in the app and at pryvatenow.com/pricing.

iPhone and iPad (iOS), Android phones and tablets, and desktop on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Yes. Sign in on your phone and your desktop with the same account; your conversations are kept in sync between them.

From the App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android), or the desktop download links at pryvatemessenger.com. Only install Pryvate from these official sources.

No. Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted: the keys are created on your device and the device of the person you are talking to, and are never sent to Pryvate’s servers. Our servers relay encrypted data they cannot decrypt. There is no central store of your conversations for us to read, hand over or lose.

Messaging uses end-to-end encryption with per-conversation keys generated on your device. Voice and video calls use ZRTP key exchange with a post-quantum-ready design, so the call key is agreed directly between the two devices. Data in transit is protected with AES-256; client-to-server authentication uses RSA-4096. Group video calls are routed through a selective forwarding unit that passes encrypted media without decoding it, so the conference itself cannot be tapped.

Yes — one-to-one and group calls, both encrypted end-to-end as described above.

As little as we can. We need a way to reach your account (a phone number or email address, depending on how you register) and the technical information required to run the service — app version, device type and diagnostics — so we can keep it working and secure. We do not store your messages, your call content, or a record of who you talk to. Details are in our Privacy Policy.

Your encrypted messages are only ever on your own devices. Account and service data is held on servers operated by Pryvate in [the United Kingdom / Jersey / the EU] under Jersey and UK data-protection law. Organisations that need their own infrastructure can deploy Pryvate in their own cloud or on-premise — see pryvatenow.com.

We comply with lawful requests in the jurisdictions where we operate, and we are transparent about what that can mean. Because messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted and not stored on our servers, we cannot produce their content for anyone — we do not have it. What we hold is limited to account and technical data. Pryvate has been independently audited by Zion Security for the absence of back doors or hidden access mechanisms.

If someone tries to capture a screenshot of your conversation, you are notified. It is a deterrent, not a guarantee: a photograph of the screen cannot be detected.

Yes. Set a timer on a conversation and messages disappear from both devices after the period you choose.

Yes. “Delete for All” removes a message from your device and from the recipient’s. This works at any time, provided the recipient’s app has not been uninstalled; a message the recipient has already copied or screenshotted cannot be recalled

For organisations managing staff devices: an administrator can remotely remove Pryvate data from a lost, stolen or departing employee’s device. It is not available to ordinary personal accounts, and it never gives an administrator the ability to read the data — only to erase it.

No. Pryvate’s code has been independently audited by Zion Security for the absence of any access mechanism, and is designed so that even Pryvate cannot decrypt your communications. Our certifications are listed at pryvatenow.com.

No. Pryvate offers anonymous registration — you can create an account without providing your mobile number. If you want to make and receive off-net calls, or let people reach you at a number, you can take a Pryvate on-net number with a subscription instead of using your own.

A number issued by Pryvate that people can call and message you on, so you never have to give out your personal mobile number. It is part of a paid plan; if the subscription ends, the number is released and that feature stops, though your messaging account continues.

For end-to-end encrypted messaging and calls, yes — both of you need the app. To call ordinary phone numbers that are not on Pryvate, use off-net calling, which is included in paid plans; those calls are encrypted between you and Pryvate’s network and then carried on the normal phone network.

Yes. Off-net calling plans cover national and international calls to ordinary phone numbers. Rates and included minutes depend on the plan, shown in the app before you subscribe.

Yes. Pryvate is designed to work on low-bandwidth connections, and its anti-blocking technology helps keep the app working on networks that try to block messaging apps.

Subscriptions bought through the App Store or Google Play are managed there: on iPhone, Settings → your name → Subscriptions; on Android, Play Store → Profile → Payments & subscriptions. Cancelling stops the next renewal; you keep what you have paid for until the end of the current period. Features that depend on the subscription — off-net calling and your on-net number — stop when it ends.

Purchases made through the App Store or Google Play are refunded under Apple’s and Google’s own policies — request one through them. For anything bought directly from Pryvate, contact [email protected].

Because messages live only on your devices, they are protected by your phone’s lock and are not on our servers to be exposed. Sign in on your new device to continue using your account. If the device was managed by your organisation, your administrator can remote-wipe it.

In the app: Settings → Account → Delete account. This removes your account, your on-net number if you have one, and the account data we hold; messages on other people’s devices are not affected. You can also email [email protected] from the address on your account and we will delete it for you.

Yes. Documents, images and other files are sent with the same end-to-end encryption as messages.

Yes. Pryvate for business adds user management, closed user groups, compliance and audit tooling, and the choice of running on Pryvate’s network or on your own infrastructure. Larger deployments can add scheduling, location and logistics on the same platform. See pryvatenow.com.

Yes. An administrator console lets you create, assign, suspend and reassign user accounts, apply policies such as remote wipe, and keep an audit trail — without the administrator being able to read staff conversations.

A private Pryvate network for your organisation only. Members can communicate with each other, and with approved outside contacts if you allow it, within an environment you control.

Yes. Pryvate’s secure communications engine is available as an SDK for organisations that want encrypted messaging, voice and video inside their own applications. See pryvatenow.com/enterprise.

The Help Centre at pryvatemessenger.com/help has set-up guides and tutorials for every platform.

Email [email protected]. For security vulnerabilities, please use the same address with “Security” in the subject line and we will respond as a priority.

End User Licence Agreement: pryvatenow.com/eula • Privacy Policy: pryvatemessenger.com/privacy-policy • Terms and Conditions: pryvatemessenger.com/terms-and-condition

Yes. Pryvate offers SME and corporate communication solutions with secure messaging, voice calls, video conferencing, user management, and business communication features.

Yes. Pryvate's SME solution includes administrative tools that allow businesses to manage, assign, and reassign user accounts.

Yes. Pryvate offers Closed User Group solutions for organizations that require a dedicated communication environment for internal and external business communications.