Through an app known as Kibo or Secure Text Keyboard, users can send secret messages through WhatsApp and even hide chats or individual messages that no one else should see. Below you will find a quick yet thorough how to guide on using this application.
Hey, its Frankie here again and today I want to tell you another technology trick to help you send secret messages through WhatsApp.
If you are worried that someone is able to see your chats on WhatsApp, or have a tendency to leave your phone in an area where someone could read pop up notifications on your phone, Kibo might be the application for you. While there are always ways of turning off notifications, Kibo allows you to send secret messages and completely hide conversations that you don’t want others to possibly see.
In fact, it was completely designed for hiding sensitive information and messages from those that are a bit too nosy. The simplistic app is little more than a keyboard, but you can interface through WhatsApp and other top messaging services like Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Skype and more. Utilizing a simple trick, you can replace messages that you send in private with generic preset phrases, which will shield what you actually had sent completely.
According to the creators of the Kibo application, “people commonly believe that no one can intercept their private messages; however, their messages are often seen by friends, colleagues, and passers-by. Therefore, we aim at providing a means for sending and receiving messages that no one can see but the sender and the recipient.”
You should be aware that now, more than ever, apps are being created simply to spy on WhatsApp.
To put it plainly, Kibo is a keyboard which allows you to hide real messages behind fake presets. You can disguise notifications on the screen as well, even with the keyboard locked. This brings about an era of privacy and security the likes instant messaging users have never seen before.
This doesn’t discredit the measures of security put in place by WhatsApp developers, but this is certainly a great stride in the right direction.
Sending Secret Messages on WhatsApp Through Kibo
The first thing you have to do, naturally, is to download the application and install it. Currently, the application is only available for iPhones (on this page), but the Android version will be released soon. As soon as it is released, there will be a link here similar to the one for iOS users above.
Once you have downloaded, the next step is adding the Kibo keyboard to your phone.
Adding The Kibo Keyboard
- Go To “Settings”, “General”, and “Keyboard”
- Tap on “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard”
- Select “Kibo”
- Tap on “Keyboard EN”
- Now this keyboard will be accessible in WhatsApp
- First, open WhatsApp and type the message you want to hide using Kibo. Next to the space button, tap on the lock icon. You can see a picture of what that looks like below.
- Once you have selected the lock icon, your message will be replaced in the thread with a vanilla message. This text can be modified to statements of your choosing.
- Once you have done this, just tap on “Send”. When this happens, the fake message will be seen by others that happen to see your phone or chat open, but the recipient will get the real message.
This process is not just for text messages though, you can also send images this way.
Copy the message that you have received to the clipboard of your phone. Double or long tap the visible message that shows up. If there is anything hidden in the text, you can see it through a pop up provided by the Kibo keyboard.
Now there is literally nothing to worry about when it comes to texting even sensitive information to other people. Everything looks like plain vanilla messages of little importance.
Currently, the app is limited to sending a hidden message to one solitary recipient in WhatsApp or any other major messaging application.
The app is not perfect and will take a while to work out all of the kinks to be really spectacular. Be mindful to follow the advice and guidelines of the developers.
If you are interested in keeping your messages and content secret, hopefully this introduction to Kibo helped you out.
Secure Text Keyboard
Unfortunately Kibo has been blocked in some countries – let’s say WhatsApp doesn’t like the use of this type of app. A nice alternative would be Secure Text Keyboard. This is an app, available for both iPhone and Android, that can send encrypted and password-protected messages.
Please note: messages and chats protected by Secure Text Keyboard can only be viewed by entering a password.
Frankie’s Take:
As I told you before, WhatsApp doesn’t like these kinds of applications, so it often blocks them. I always try to keep the guide as up-to-date as possible by testing new apps, but I may miss a few. That’s why if you happen to know more of these apps, please comment on the post, it could be helpful to a lot of people. I also recommend if you want to be 100% sure that your messages are not read, to have a look at the 3 best secret messaging apps for iPhone and Android.
2 Alternative Ways [100% Works] to send secret messages
When I decided to create my blog I did it so that I could share all my knowledge. That’s why I want you to know that there are other alternatives to Kibo and Secure Text Keyboard to send secret messages that work 100%.
The first method is EncryptChat, a free app for iPhone and Android devices, which allows you to send encrypted messages, readable only by entering an unlock password, on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage and other apps.
Frankie that’s fabulous! How do I use it?
It’s all very simple. First you and the recipient of the message need to have EncryptChat installed on your smartphone. Then you do this:
- Open EncryptChat
- Type the message you want to send and enter a Password and click on Encrypt
- Click Share and send the message to the recipient using the app of your choice from WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.
- The recipient will receive a code that they will have to copy and paste into EncryptChat. To decrypt and read it they will have to enter the password you used to encrypt it.
WOW Not bad!
The second method does not involve the use of WhatsApp but the secret chats of Telegram.
Telegram is now widely used so both you and the recipient of the secret message should have no problem installing and using it.
The advantages of Telegram’s secret chats are:
- You do not receive incoming message notifications
- They have a self-destruct timer that participants can set. So when your chat partner(s) have seen that particular message, after X seconds (from a minimum of one second to a maximum of one week, one hour and one day)
- You cannot take screenshots and when one of the interlocutors tries to take a screenshot of the conversation this action is notified
- You cannot forward messages or save received documents and files.
Essentially a very valid alternative to WhatsApp but far safer. If you want to learn more, I suggest you take a look at this guide of mine: how to start a secret conversation on Telegram.
Conclusion
For now, all my knowledge on the subject has been unveiled to you. I hope it’s been helpful.
Before we say goodbye, however, I want to make a brief summary of what we have discussed in the guide.
There are several ways to send secret messages via WhatsApp to a person.
The first is Kibo, an app that unfortunately is not available in all countries around the world. It is a keyboard that allows you to hide “real” messages behind “fake” ones in order to make them secret.
The second method is Secure Text Keyboard, an application very similar to Kibo, which allows you to send secret messages that can only be viewed via password. It works today, but WhatsApp doesn’t like this kind of app so it may be blocked in the future.
Finally there are two alternative techniques that work 100%: EncryptChat that uses WhatsApp only to send the message (this will be decrypted on EncryptChat installed on the recipient’s smartphone) and Telegram secret chats.
My advice is to use one of these two alternatives: they are safer and less conspicuous in case some snoopers should access your phone.
Love,
