Zoho's Vembu announces end-to-end encryption for Arratai, says app's drop in users expected

Sridhar Vembu shared the details of the latest version, saying users with updated app will be redirected to a new end-to-end chat session

Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu said WhatsApp-rival Arratai will enable end-to-end encryption from November 18’s night and asked users to update their apps.

“Please update the Arattai app from the Play Store/App Store and please encourage your contacts to do so. The end-to-end encryption will be enabled Tuesday night IST,” Vembu said in a post on X.

Vembu shared the details of the latest version, saying users with updated app will be redirected to a new end-to-end chat session. User with the current version can continue to use the old chat sessions for three days, which Vembu termed as a “transition period”. After three days, all the chats will be moved to the end-to-end encryption, while the old sessions will be archived, Vembu explained.

However, Vembu said the firm will take a few weeks to launch end-to-end encryption for group chats. In addition, the company has new “cool features” in the works that will announced once this transition period ends, he said.

Interestingly, to question on sharp decline in its active users, Vembu said such drops were expected.

“That is how it works for these apps. Initial buzz rarely equals long term success. It is the staying power that matters,” he explained on X.

Please update the Arattai app from the Play Store/App Store and please encourage your contacts to do so. The end to end encryption will be enabled
Tuesday night IST. Some important notes:

1. If you are on the latest a
Arattai version and your contact is on the latest version,…

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) November 18, 2025

The messaging app had dropped out of top 100 apps on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store earlier this month few weeks after leading the charts.

The app had received initial boost after Centre’s call for promoting ‘swadesh’ products. Several ministers, including education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and home minister Amit Shah actively endorsed Zoho and its various products. Soon after the rollout, the company faced backlash in some quarters over no end-to-end encryption feature.

Earlier on November 15, Vembu had said the company went ahead “mandatory system-wide end-to-end encryption and it will be a “forced upgrade” on everyone as it is a “drastic change”.

“We had to do some redesign around it and we wanted extensive testing because it is a drastic change. It is now being tested by about 6,000 people in the company. We identified some issues and have fixed them. We are doing one more round of testing on a new build that has fixed the issues identified,” Vembu had said.