Ever wondered how you can protect the contents of your email from unauthorized access to make sure it’s completely private? Whether you're sending sensitive information or just want to ensure your privacy, there’s an easy way to protect your Gmail emails. If you didn’t know, you can encrypt your emails in Gmail into an unreadable format, so only the intended recipient can decode and read it. This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to encrypt an email in Gmail on Desktop.
You can learn more about confidential emails here.
Create an Email
Step 1. Open Gmail.
Open Gmail on your desktop browser.
Step 2. Start Drafting an Email.
At the top left corner of your Gmail screen. You will see a 'Compose' button—click it to start drafting your email.
Step 3. Fill out the Email of the Recipient, Subject of the Email, and then Write the Email.
A pop-up window will show. Here, you will enter the email address of the recipient, the subject of your email, and finally, the email content.
Step 4. Toggle Confidential Mode.
At the bottom of your email draft, look for the icon in the bottom of the email and toggle 'Confidential Mode.' By toggling this, will allow you to set an expiration date and a passcode for that email. Note that the recipient will not be able to forward, copy, print, or download the email, which adds an extra layer of security. However, according to Google, it doesn't prevent recipients from taking screenshots or photos of your messages or attachments.
Step 5. Set an Expiration Date and Passcode.
A pop-up window will show. You can choose how long the encrypted email will last before it expires. You can also add an SMS passcode for extra security. This makes it so that only the recipient can only open the email within the time frame you've selected.
Step 6. Send the Encrypted Email.
After setting the expiration date and passcode, you can send the email to the recipient. Just click 'Send', and your encrypted email will be on its way!
Step 7. Confirm Recipient’s Phone Numbers.
If you do choose to set a passcode to your email, you will need to confirm the recipient’s phone number.
How to Receive an Encrypted Email
Step 1. Open Gmail.
Open Gmail on your desktop browser.
Step 2. If You Can’t Find the Email in Inbox, Check the Spam folder.
In Gmail, check your inbox to see if you have received the encrypted email. If you can't find it, you might want to check your spam folder. You may also see a warning that says, 'This message seems dangerous.' However, if you are expecting an encrypted email, you may ignore this warning.
Step 3. Ask to Send a Passcode and Enter the Passcode.
If the sender included your phone number, you can request the passcode to be sent via SMS. Once you have received the passcode, simply enter it to unlock and read the encrypted email.
Step 4: Open the Encrypted Email.
If the passcode you entered is correct, the encrypted email will be unlocked. This allows you to open and read the contents of an encrypted email.
