Husbands Encrypted WhatsApp with Female Colleague

[Alby678]

Hi,

First time post as I don’t know if I’m losing my mind.

My husband is an Airline pilot who is was very popular with the ladies when he was younger. We have 3 adult children. Things are ok between us but he is a charmer. Sex is irregular between us but I suppose that’s the norm when you’re in your 50’s.

He has been travelling frequently with one particular glamorous cabin crew member who I have my suspicions about. She’s married to a nice handsome man who I’ve met and they have 3 children also.

My husband was having a shower this morning I got a chance to check his phone as something wasn’t sitting right with me. I searched her name on WhatsApp and the messages between them are encrypted?? Like what’s that about.

I’ve now checked whats involved in setting up encryption on WhatsApp and both parties have to set it up with one scanning a code on the others phone. Needless to say I’m seriously concerned now.

Has anyone encountered this before and how do you think I should handle this tricky situation?

Im thinking of contacting this woman’s husband but feel that might be a bit much at this point.

Thanks all.

Example from my phone. It's absolutely as standard.

(Enjoy my cat)

I've never heard of this feature though on a chat by chat basis? Are you unable to see the messages

I may be wrong, but I'm crediting the OP with having a basic knowledge of WhatsApp and therefore assuming something looks different to normal. If I click in my longstanding chats they don't show the message.

Although maybe that's it, the husband has never messaged the women, so that's why it gives the encryption message if the OP goes as it to message her as it is a new chat?

when i go to a previous chat the encryption option is not there, but if its a fresh chat the option is possible

The OP is correct. Her husband and colleague have set up an additional end to end encryption for the messages sent between them, ensuring they are viewable only to them. The pictures attached show how to do this and like OP said, they would have had to discuss this and one of them scan the others QR code on their device to set it up.

I'm sorry OP, this really doesn't look good.

That's totally wrong.

End to end encryption is on every single chat.

Do you use WhatsApp?

No they haven’t. The scanner/codes is only so you and the person you’re messaging can verify the match and therefore be ‘sure’ that the messages are end-to-end encrypted.

Verification is optional and just an extra peace of mind. The messages - all messages on WhatsApp - are already encrypted.

I'd be wanting to read those messages FOR SURE

My chat with someone is encrypted but they did it. I didn't do anything and they weren't near my phone when I got the notification.

Edited to add, I've not noticed it with everyone else tbh.

It's standard on WhatsApp. You don't need to do anything.

Yes, and I am well aware that calls and messages are encrypted. However there is an extra function you can turn on via QR code for a specific number to verify the end to end encryption is working, which in turn also provides additional security between those calls and chats with an access key needed to view them.

From my picture above 'About end to end encryption':

"This is because with end-to-end encryption, your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them."

Its just an additional step in the end to end encryption roll out process, which started last year, if he's enabled this for all of his chats fair enough but just for one does seem a bit odd...

Editing to agree with what @loropianalover love said above, that this type of verification "is optional and just an extra peace of mind. "

I would want to know why my partner felt they needed that extra peace of mind on this specific chat.

I thought the whole idea was to have encryption which is why Govts,law enforcement don't like WhatsApp as they can't read the messages. Don't know about GCHQ tho

It means they've never Whatsapped more than likely..

As per everyone else - every new, first time contact with another person on WhatsApp (and many many other messaging programs) will show a 'these messages are end to end encrypted' message.

If you've been chatting with a person for ages, that will be a long scroll-up away from the current conversation though.

SO if you've seen that, then this is a new contact, pretty new conversation. Encryption is not suspicious or an indicator of anything unusual or nefarious.

Messages can be locked, thats a handy thing to have if you leave your phone elsewhere/unattended a lot.

Suggest you speak to your partner/husband, there are legit reasons for talking to a member of the opposite sex, and there are dodgy ones... only a discussion with him will reveal which this is.

No it doesn't, you have to specifically go through a process to do it.

Ive done it in the past with private conversations.

Yes he's cheating - I'm sorry but of course he is.

Is there messages between them that you can see? Or can you just see that encryption message at the top? Is so it may be that he's deleting their chat history.

I've never done this in my life and I have the encryption message on every conversation. I even posted a screenshot on this thread.

I think that the OP was in her husband's phone, so she should have been able to access the WA conversation unless he had taken special measures to protect it.

Me too.

Maybe I'm mixing it up with something else but I've definitely set up an encryption in the past where you had to enter a 6 digit code to look at a certain conversation. If this isn't what you mean op then ignore me.

Im explaining this really badly I think! Yes, all WhatsApp chats are end to end encrypted now. This is a relatively new thing.

End to end encryption works by your device encrypting your calls and messages using an encryption key that only the recipient's device can decrypt.

As an additional security measure, you can use a key transparency exchange between you and the person you are chatting with which allows you to verify the encryption keys used between you both to show that the expected level of end to end encryption has indeed been enabled. This would have to be initiated by both parties in the chat.

Its used to provide extra peace of mind that no one outside of your chat can see your messages (unless of course someone else is accessing them through their handset)

If the OP also can't see the chats even with her DPs handset then he has probably locked the chat also.

Chat with H needed.

What @BillStickersWillBeProsocuted said OP. If there are no messages you can see other than this notification, it means they haven’t messaged on whatsapp

Searching would bring up contacts he has in his phone, but her showing up in WhatsApp doesn't mean they've ever messaged each other on there.

I just checked this with someone in my contacts - I know nothing has ever been sent/received between us on WhatsApp. Clicking on the name opens up a new chat with the standard WhatsApp "messages are encrypted" notice at the top; nothing underneath because no messages have been sent.

I can see how this might look like a hidden chat if you'd not seen it before, but that's not what it means.