November 28, 2017
Hushed V4 now supports end-to-end encryption!
We’re extremely happy to announce the latest version of Hushed is being released, “Hushed 4.0”. This version contains a slew of updates and new features for users to take advantage of, so let’s dive right into it. The updates are divided into two sections Hushed Messenger and Hushed phone. We are continuing to ensure and improve the availability of private communications whether they be for services around mobile telephone numbers or user-to-user messaging.
Hushed Messenger with End-to-End Encryption
Hushed messenger has gone through a significant upgrade in all the ways in which users leverage hushed phone but now with the best aspects of messaging platforms. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, your conversations should be private and under your control as much possible. This is considering that so much of our online lives are exposed, privacy is more important than ever. We’ve leveraged some of the best encryption technology to make our messaging as secure as possible so you can feel safe that your conversations are always private – not to mention along with a lot of tasty features we’re going to tell you about right now.
We’re using something called perfect forward secrecy from our partner Virgil Security. The goal with this technology is to provide a seamless experience for you that doesn’t involve your intervention or special tasks because the best security should feel like it isn’t even there.
Perfect Forward Secrecy’s encryption has a few unique methods which ensure our users’ messages stay private.
Each time you start a conversation you use new encryption keys. What this means is that even if someone was able to capture the private encryption keys this would only allow them to intercept an active session. A session means when the user is active or when they are actually having a conversation.
Even if someone intercepted an active session the encryption keys that were used are immediately discarded, so bad actors still don’t have access to the session key (the active conversation). There you have it – super secret unbreakably secure messaging. To learn more about perfect forward secrecy click here.
Hushed Messenger – New features!
Group Chat
Chat is always better with lots of friends than just one. Sorry Joan, I love you but I need more friends to talk to then just you!
In group chat you can:
- See when people are typing
- See when messages are read
- Send images
- Voice notes
- Send videos
- Burnable messages. Burnable messages are messages which with a timer which disappear after the timer runs out.
All of these features are also available in one to one chat. Users can now chat securely one to one or in groups with this full slate of features.
Multiple profiles
Instead of having a single profile for your account. You can have as many profiles as you want and have separate contacts for each profile and you can still manage all your different profiles from the same account. Each profile can be identified by a unique name and photo.
Why on earth would you want to log in and log out when you need multiple accounts in a messenger. In ours, you don’t need to log in and out. In the image above these are 3 examples of profiles controlled by one account. The owner of this account is the same.
Why does someone need this? The answer is that you may need accounts for different purposes and that you don’t want to confuse them. You have one account and in that account you have multiple profiles controlled from that one account. I say no Jose! Wait, No. It’s NO WAY, Jose! No way man. No WAY. We make it easy. You’re welcome.
Contact list
The contact list has a revamped look and feel. This allows for easier navigation:
- You’re Hushed contact list and phone list have been merged together in the same list and grouped so you don’t have to switch back and forth between lists
- You can easily invite your phone contacts to Hushed Messenger.
- The new vertical look and feel is available for Hushed phone as well as for Hushed Messenger.
- You can block people you don’t want to talk to. Bye Felicia!
Hushed Phone – New features!
In addition to all the sexy updates for Hushed Messenger. We have a number of updates for Hushed Phone. We’ve spent a lot of time redesigning many of the aspects of the user experience. We’ve got improved privacy options and better integration into your chosen phone platforms to make the app a more natural fit with the things you do everyday.
Privacy
We’ve added a couple of features to help your super private communications stay even more private.
- Configure the sounds of calls and messages.
- Set messages to not be visible outside the app.
Security is also an element of privacy and we’ve added more control for access to the Hushed app.
- App locking with a password. No one’s getting in.
Native Calling
You now have the option of having all your hushed calls appear in your IOS call screen. Also, if you click on the call record in the call screen it will launch the call in Hushed app on IOS. We wanted to create a more integrated service into your everyday life. You now have more choices for how to use hushed.
Redesigned call screen
The call screen has gone through a number of evolutions since the first version Hushed. We wanted to make all the buttons pop more in this version so the background is now black with white buttons. It’s clean and bright with a flat design.
Ring all your devices
With this version you can be signed into as many devices as you want. The app is not tied to a device. For example, if you have 3 devices they will all ring at the same time.
Send messages or texts while on the phone
In our previous versions, you could not exit the call the screen while on a call. Now you can exit the call screen, send messages or texts, or use other features while you’re on a call. We multi-task just like you and so we really wanted to change that for you. No one likes to be put in a box or in the corner for that matter. Unless you’re a CEO in which case you love the corner office. It’s the circle of life. No one puts baby in the corner. CEO loves the corner.
Bluetooth
You can now sync your Bluetooth devices with Hushed. Hands up for hands-free!
Enhanced voice quality
Many hours have the developers been locked in a room surviving on pizza and Ramen to improve the quality of your calls. We also started using Apple’s enhanced VoIP service in conjunction with our own improvements. You’ll notice audible differences in the quality of audio and won’t be asking your friends and colleagues to “Can you hear me know” Or “say that again”.
Mega update complete.
Privacy is a fickle thing. We think about our private information and in theory we like it to be secure but what are we doing about it? Privacy should be easy, not hard. Privacy is something that is part of every area of our lives.
