Protecting your Google Fi calls with end-to-end encryption
What you share with friends, family and others on phone calls is your business. Google Fi has always been committed to keeping your personal information safe, and we want to help you keep your personal conversations private, too. That’s why today, we're announcing end-to-end encrypted calls, starting with Android phones on Fi.
What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption is a complex term for a simple idea: that no one besides you and the person you’re talking to should be able to hear what you're saying over the phone. End-to-end encryption has become an industry standard for real-time communications such as messaging — and now, we’re bringing it to phone calls, right from your Phone app. Calls between two Android phones on Fi will be secured with end-to-end encryption by default, so you can have peace of mind knowing your calls are staying between you and the person you’re talking to.
End-to-end encryption is the latest addition to the collection of privacy and security features that come included at no extra charge in all Fi plans, alongside our built-in VPN for a private online connection and spam blocking to stop unwanted calls.
How does end-to-end encryption work on Fi?
With this feature, you’ll notice new audio and visual cues to let you know that your calls with other Android phones on Fi are protected with end-to-end encryption. When placing an eligible call, you'll hear a unique ringing tone and see a lock symbol on the screen just before being connected. You and the person you’re calling will also see a lock symbol on their screen during the call.
For more security in your texts, Messages by Google already automatically encrypts your one-on-one conversations when both you and the person you're messaging have Messages and chat features enabled. This ensures no one can read the content of your messages as they travel between your phone and the phone of the person you're messaging.
End-to-end encrypted calls will begin rolling out for one-to-one calls between Android phones on Fi in the coming weeks. In the meantime, learn more about other ways Fi helps keep you safe.
