How PIING keeps your messages private

Private by Design

One-to-one chats in the PIING app — text, photos, videos, voice messages and files — are end-to-end encrypted when both people use a current version of the app. A post-quantum handshake (ML-KEM-1024 combined with X25519) sets up each chat, and the Double Ratchet gives every message a fresh key, so only the two phones can read those messages. Messages with a lock icon are end-to-end encrypted. Our servers store only scrambled data for them, and notifications for them never contain the message. You can verify any chat with its safety code, in person or by scanning a QR code.

Not end-to-end encrypted: the web chat, saved notes, channels and Live. A group call, when available, is encrypted on the way to the call relay and is not end-to-end encrypted. Group chats, Stories and media are end-to-end encrypted only when everyone involved has a current version of the app; otherwise they're encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS), so PIING's servers can technically access them.

Passwords are stored only as a strong one-way hash (PBKDF2), never in a readable form.

Calls

One-to-one calls are encrypted between the two phones with WebRTC (DTLS-SRTP), and relay servers can't decrypt them. The keys for a call are agreed through PIING's servers and are not yet checked against your safety code. A group call, when available, goes through Cloudflare’s call relay: it is encrypted on the way and is not end-to-end encrypted.

Nearby

Nearby messages sent over Bluetooth are sealed so the phones relaying them can't read them.

No Ad Tracking

We do not collect behavioural data for advertising. There are no ad trackers and no analytics pixels in the app, and we never sell your data. We use a small number of service providers to run PIING (listed in the privacy policy), and AI services from other companies only if you allow it.

Report a security problem

Email security@piingapp.co.uk. Please don't share details publicly until we've had a chance to fix it.