Google simplifies end-to-end encrypted emails for businesses on Gmail

Gmail enterprise users will soon be able to send end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) emails directly to other Gmail inboxes, with support for all email inboxes expected later this year.

With rising cybersecurity threats, more users are prioritizing E2EE communication channels, which ensures that only the intended recipient can read the message.

A number of email providers, including Proton Mail and Tuta, already offer such functionality.

With Google's latest update, encrypted emails will also be more easily available for Gmail enterprise users.

Until now, to send encrypted emails users had to ensure that the Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) encryption was properly configured for both the sender and recipient. This often involved exchanging certificates or using third-party software.

Now, Google is rolling out an update that allows users to send E2EE emails “with just a few clicks.”

When the recipient uses Gmail, the message is automatically decrypted in their inbox. For non-Gmail recipients, Gmail will send an invitation to view the email in a restricted version of Gmail, where the recipient must use a guest Google Workspace account to access and reply to the email.

According to Google's blog post, the encryption keys are controlled by users and are not accessible by Google’s servers.

E2EE emails will be available to Gmail users in the coming weeks, and support for all email inboxes will follow later this year.