End-to-End Encryption

Element uses end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to protect your private conversations.
This means that:

  • Messages are encrypted on your device.
  • Only devices that you have verified can decrypt them.
  • Even the administrators of EVH cannot decrypt your messages.

Encryption Keys and Security

To ensure that you do not lose access to encrypted conversations, Element requires you to create and store a Secure Message Recovery method (also known as the security key or recovery passphrase).

Guidance on how to create, store, and use your recovery key can be found in the official help article:
https://element.io/help#encryption

and in the official user guide: https://static.element.io/pdfs/element-user-guide.pdf

It is essential that you keep this key in a safe place.
If it is lost, there is no technical way to decrypt existing encrypted messages — not even system administrators can restore them.

Verifying Sessions and Accessing Encrypted Messages on Multiple Devices

You can access your encrypted messages on multiple devices — for example:

  • Element Web in your browser
  • Element Desktop application
  • Element mobile apps (iOS and Android)

To read encrypted messages on a new device, you will be asked to verify the new session using:

  • your stored recovery key, or
  • another already-verified session (e.g., your desktop app or mobile app)

To simplify future verifications

We strongly recommend installing Element Desktop or the mobile app to have a verified session available for future verifications. They can be downloaded here:

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