Zoho's Arattai rolls out end-to-end encryption post privacy concerns
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu explained that users will be able to exchange only end-to-end encrypted messages if both they and their contacts are using the latest version of Arattai.
Direct chats on Arattai are now protected with end-to-end encryption, the Zoho-backed messaging platform said.
In a social media post, Arattai urged users to update to the latest version of the app.
"The wait is finally over! Direct chats on Arattai are now protected with end-to-end encryption," it said.
Earlier in the day, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu had said Arattai is poised for a big update with end-to-end encryption scheduled to be rolled out on Tuesday night.
Vembu said many more "cool features" on Arattai are in the works once "this big transition" is through.
"Please update the Arattai app from the Play Store/App Store, and please encourage your contacts to do so. The end-to-end encryption will be enabled Tuesday night IST," Vembu said in a post on X on Tuesday.
He explained that users will be able to exchange only end-to-end encrypted messages if both they and their contacts are using the latest version of Arattai.
"If you are on the latest Arattai version and your contact is on the latest version, you will only be able to use end-to-end encrypted chat with that contact," he said.
In such cases (where both sides are on the latest version), a new end-to-end chat session will be created for that contact, and the old non-end-to-end encrypted chat session will be archived.
"So you cannot continue the old chat session with any contact who is in the end-to-end encrypted version of the app. The old chat screen will simply redirect you to the end-to-end chat screen," he elaborated.
For contacts who are in an old Arattai version, a user will be able to continue to use the old chat session only for three days. In three days, Arattai will upgrade everyone to the latest app, and at that point, end-to-end encryption will become a system-wide mandate.
In effect, these three days are a transition phase.
Group chats are not yet end-to-end encryption-enabled, and Vembu promised it will roll out in a few weeks for groups of a certain size.
"End-to-end encrypted chats will get a backup option in about two weeks," he added.
Arattai grabbed the spotlight a few months back amid clarion calls by ministers, founders and CEOs to embrace the made-in-India messaging app, the rapid daily sign-ups that followed, and widespread sharing and invitations circulating on social media platforms, including ironically, various WhatsApp groups.
Back in September, the instant messaging app from Zoho saw a 100X increase in downloads over a period of three days, with users praising the platform. The app, which had an average download of 3,000 per day, saw 350,000 daily sign-ups in what Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu referred to as an example of patient engineering.
Arattai, which in Tamil means to chit-chat, can be used to send texts, voice notes, audio/video calls, and share photos and documents. It is available in 16 languages, including Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Japanese.
The app has similarities with other popular chat apps such as WhatsApp and Signal, and could prove to be a competitor, given its made in India tag.
(With inputs from PTI.)