Does Gmail encrypt emails?

Gmail sends emails using TLS (Transport Layer Security), ensuring your message is safe and protected during transmission. However, once the email arrives in the inbox, TLS security doesn’t prohibit anyone from accessing it, which is where the paid S/MIME encryption comes in, keeping your message safe and protected.

Can I send a secure email through Gmail?

Send a secure email for free using Gmail’s Confidential Mode. This mode ensures that you can set a custom expiry date for the message and that the recipient can’t print, download, forward, or otherwise share the document. If that level of security isn’t enough, then you can use paid S/MIME encryption.

How to check that your email is encrypted?

If you’re sending an email and want to check that it’s encrypted, quickly check it by looking at the lock icon. The lock icon will be green if S/MIME encryption is available, gray for standard TLS encryption, and red for no security. You can also check which encryption a sender used.

How to receive a secure email in Gmail?

You can only receive a S/MIME encrypted email if you also have S/MIME active. The level of encryption you are able to receive is the same as you can send. When receiving an email, click on the small arrow below the sender’s email, and you’ll see the type of security used at the bottom of the small screen.

How to Send a Secure Email In Gmail

Emailing is one of the most convenient ways to contact other parties, especially in the professional business world. However, sending business emails means the messages often contain confidential information, and you require some form of protection for the message. That’s why we look at how to send a secure email in Gmail on both desktop and mobile. We also consider two ways to do it, explaining each step-by-step.

Why Send Secure Emails?

Gmail offers various security features that ensure the recipient can’t copy, forward, download, or print the message. This option is handy if you’re sending confidential information or highly restricted data that could damage your company if competitors got their hands on it. You might also want to send a secure email when you want to add an expiration date to your message, all of which you can do using Gmail’s confidential mode.

Using Gmail Confidential Mode Available for Free Accounts (Desktop and Mobile)

We look at how to send a confidential email in Gmail using the brand’s built-in security feature. This feature ensures the recipient can’t access, download, or share your message without permission. However, remember that the protection doesn’t span to screenshots and photos. Despite this drawback, it’s still an extremely useful feature, which we provide a step-by-step guide for below.

Step 1: Open a New Email

You must open a new email by pressing the “Compose” button in Gmail. The button is at the top left on the desktop and the bottom right on mobile. You’ll open a new window by clicking this button.

Step 2: Click the Lock Icon

At the bottom of your screen on your desktop, you must press the lock icon. If you hover over it, you’ll see the words “Toggle Confidential Mode.” On your mobile, click the three vertical dots to open more options and press “Confidential Mode.”

Step 3: Adjust Your Settings

You’ll now need to adjust your settings on both desktop and mobile. These settings include choosing an expiry date and whether your message has a password. Choose between a standard and an SMS password.

Step 4: Save Your Security Settings

After adjusting your settings, you must save it, and you’ll see a box at the bottom of your email showing the security settings. You can also remove the recipients’ access in this box.

A box at the bottom of an email showing the security settings

Using S/MIME Encryption Available for Paid Accounts

Sometimes, you require better protection, and Gmail’s paid services provide secure S/MIME encryption for your messages. This service benefits enterprise email accounts, but both the recipient and sender must have it active. We look at how to encrypt email in Gmail and provide a list of steps with an explanation.

Step 1: Open Your Google Admin Console

Open your Google Admin console in the browser or mobile app if you have a paid account. You do this by typing in admin.google.com and signing in using your company’s Gmail admin login.

Step 2: Navigate to User Settings

Once in the Admin Console, click the “Apps” option, then press Google Workspace > Gmail > User Settings.

Step 3: Choose the Domain to Encrypt

You’ll see a list of your domains and organizations here, and you need to click on the one you want to encrypt.

Step 4: Select S/MIME Encryption

Scroll down the page and choose “Enable S/MIME encryption for receiving and sending emails” to encrypt your messages.

Step 5: Adjust Optional Settings and Save

There will be optional settings to adjust, but you can also keep it to Google’s recommended settings. Save your settings and reload your Gmail inbox to apply the encryption to the relevant domain.

Final Thoughts

You might need to send a confidential email in Gmail for many reasons, but there are two ways to do it. One requires a paid Googe account, while the other is free to use in a standard Gmail account. While these methods aren’t foolproof, as can be seen with a confidential email being vulnerable to screenshots and photos, they still provide more protection than a standard message.

Using this feature together with CRM software like the Free Email Tracker for Gmail by PandaDoc can help you better organize your emails. This software helps you track and manage your emails and see when they were opened, along with various other features. It ensures you get the most out of sending a secure email. Check out the utterly Free Email Tracker for Gmail and see the difference it makes in managing your emails.

FAQs

Gmail sends emails using TLS (Transport Layer Security), ensuring your message is safe and protected during transmission. However, once the email arrives in the inbox, TLS security doesn’t prohibit anyone from accessing it, which is where the paid S/MIME encryption comes in, keeping your message safe and protected.
Send a secure email for free using Gmail’s Confidential Mode. This mode ensures that you can set a custom expiry date for the message and that the recipient can’t print, download, forward, or otherwise share the document. If that level of security isn’t enough, then you can use paid S/MIME encryption.
If you’re sending an email and want to check that it’s encrypted, quickly check it by looking at the lock icon. The lock icon will be green if S/MIME encryption is available, gray for standard TLS encryption, and red for no security. You can also check which encryption a sender used.
You can only receive a S/MIME encrypted email if you also have S/MIME active. The level of encryption you are able to receive is the same as you can send. When receiving an email, click on the small arrow below the sender’s email, and you’ll see the type of security used at the bottom of the small screen.