In an age where digital privacy concerns continue to grow, Cryptific is addressing a critical vulnerability in our everyday communications. Founded in 2023 by Eyobed Tegegne, this innovative mobile app solution provides encryption for text messages stored on your device, creating an additional layer of security beyond the standard in-transit encryption offered by most messaging platforms.
The Security Gap Cryptific Fills
While many messaging apps encrypt data during transmission, Cryptific recognizes that sensitive information remains vulnerable once it reaches your device. If someone gains physical access to your phone, your private conversations could be compromised. Cryptific tackles this problem by encrypting plain text messages directly on the device before they’re sent, ensuring they can only be decrypted by recipients who have the proper encryption key.
The company currently offers two free applications in the iOS App Store. The standalone Cryptific app built with React Native provides the core encryption functionality, while Cryptic Send works as an iMessage extension, allowing users to send encrypted messages directly through Apple’s messaging platform.
From Side Project to Security Solution
Developing Cryptific wasn’t without challenges. As Tegegne shares, “The most difficult part of the journey was actually setting the time aside and actually start. With the busy daily lives, full time work, family duties and raising two dogs, it took a while between having the idea and actually start the work.”
Despite these obstacles, once development began, Tegegne recognized Cryptific’s potential and continued pushing forward even during difficult periods. The persistence has paid off, with hundreds of downloads and active users already utilizing the free versions of the apps.
Inspiration and Future Direction
Cryptific draws inspiration from WhatsApp, acknowledging their serious approach to privacy through end-to-end encryption for calls and messages. However, Cryptific aims to take security a step further by ensuring that even messages stored on your device remain protected through encryption.
Looking ahead, the company plans to transition to a paid app model as the user base grows. More ambitious plans include expanding to Android devices and eventually establishing Cryptific as its own messaging platform. Within four years, Tegegne envisions Cryptific becoming “the most secure way of communication by helping people safeguard their messages and other forms of communications.”
For users concerned about the privacy of their digital conversations, Cryptific offers a compelling solution that addresses security vulnerabilities at multiple levels. As their tagline suggests, they’re putting “secure messages at your fingertips.”
