Transparency Report

Email encryption in transit

When an email is encrypted in transit with a security protocol called transport-layer security (TLS), it is harder for others to read what you’re sending. A growing number of email providers are working to encrypt email messages in transit. The data here shows the current state of email encryption in transit.

Encrypted traffic to and from Google

Many email providers don’t encrypt messages while they’re in transit. When you send or receive emails with one of these providers, your messages are as open to snoopers as a postcard in the mail. A growing number of email providers are working to change that by encrypting messages sent to and from their services using Transport Layer Security (TLS). Generally speaking, use of encryption in transit continues to increase over time, as more providers enable and maintain their support. Factors such as varying volumes of email may explain other fluctuations in these encryption statistics.

What is encryption?

Outbound email encryption: 98%

Outbound emailsDec 01, 2024Feb 01, 2025Dec 16, 2024Dec 30, 2024Jan 13, 20250%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
DayOutbound emails
Nov 24, 202496%
Nov 25, 202498%
Nov 26, 202498%
Nov 27, 202498%
Nov 28, 202497%
Nov 29, 202498%
Nov 30, 202496%
Dec 1, 202496%
Dec 2, 202498%
Dec 3, 202498%
Dec 4, 202498%
Dec 5, 202498%
Dec 6, 202498%
Dec 7, 202495%
Dec 8, 202496%
Dec 9, 202498%
Dec 10, 202498%
Dec 11, 202498%
Dec 12, 202498%
Dec 13, 202498%
Dec 14, 202496%
Dec 15, 202496%
Dec 16, 202498%
Dec 17, 202498%
Dec 18, 202498%
Dec 19, 202498%
Dec 20, 202498%
Dec 21, 202496%
Dec 22, 202496%
Dec 23, 202497%
Dec 24, 202496%
Dec 25, 202495%
Dec 26, 202497%
Dec 27, 202497%
Dec 28, 202495%
Dec 29, 202496%
Dec 30, 202497%
Dec 31, 202497%
Jan 1, 202596%
Jan 2, 202598%
Jan 3, 202598%
Jan 4, 202596%
Jan 5, 202596%
Jan 6, 202598%
Jan 7, 202598%
Jan 8, 202598%
Jan 9, 202598%
Jan 10, 202598%
Jan 11, 202596%
Jan 12, 202596%
Jan 13, 202598%
Jan 14, 202598%
Jan 15, 202598%
Jan 16, 202598%
Jan 17, 202598%
Jan 18, 202596%
Jan 19, 202596%
Jan 20, 202598%
Jan 21, 202598%
Jan 22, 202598%
Jan 23, 202598%
Jan 24, 202598%
Jan 25, 202596%
Jan 26, 202596%
Jan 27, 202598%
Jan 28, 202598%
Jan 29, 202598%
Jan 30, 202598%
Jan 31, 202598%
Feb 3, 202598%
Feb 4, 202598%
Feb 5, 202598%
Feb 6, 202598%
Feb 7, 202598%
Feb 8, 202596%
Feb 9, 202596%
Feb 10, 202598%
Feb 11, 202598%
Feb 12, 202598%
Feb 13, 202598%
Feb 14, 202598%
Feb 15, 202596%
Feb 16, 202596%
Feb 17, 202598%

Inbound email encryption: 99%

Inbound emailsDec 01, 2024Feb 01, 2025Dec 16, 2024Dec 30, 2024Jan 13, 20250%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
DayInbound emails
Nov 24, 2024100%
Nov 25, 202499%
Nov 26, 202499%
Nov 27, 202499%
Nov 28, 2024100%
Nov 29, 2024100%
Nov 30, 2024100%
Dec 1, 2024100%
Dec 2, 2024100%
Dec 3, 202499%
Dec 4, 202499%
Dec 5, 202499%
Dec 6, 202499%
Dec 7, 2024100%
Dec 8, 2024100%
Dec 9, 202499%
Dec 10, 202499%
Dec 11, 202499%
Dec 12, 202499%
Dec 13, 202499%
Dec 14, 2024100%
Dec 15, 2024100%
Dec 16, 202499%
Dec 17, 202499%
Dec 18, 202499%
Dec 19, 202499%
Dec 20, 2024100%
Dec 21, 2024100%
Dec 22, 2024100%
Dec 23, 2024100%
Dec 24, 2024100%
Dec 25, 2024100%
Dec 26, 2024100%
Dec 27, 2024100%
Dec 28, 2024100%
Dec 29, 2024100%
Dec 30, 2024100%
Dec 31, 2024100%
Jan 1, 2025100%
Jan 2, 202599%
Jan 3, 2025100%
Jan 4, 2025100%
Jan 5, 2025100%
Jan 6, 202599%
Jan 7, 202599%
Jan 8, 202599%
Jan 9, 202599%
Jan 10, 202599%
Jan 11, 2025100%
Jan 12, 2025100%
Jan 13, 202599%
Jan 14, 202599%
Jan 15, 202599%
Jan 16, 202599%
Jan 17, 202599%
Jan 18, 2025100%
Jan 19, 202599%
Jan 20, 202599%
Jan 21, 202599%
Jan 22, 202599%
Jan 23, 202599%
Jan 24, 202599%
Jan 25, 2025100%
Jan 26, 2025100%
Jan 27, 202599%
Jan 28, 202599%
Jan 29, 202599%
Jan 30, 202599%
Jan 31, 202599%
Feb 3, 202599%
Feb 4, 202599%
Feb 5, 202599%
Feb 6, 202599%
Feb 7, 202599%
Feb 8, 2025100%
Feb 9, 2025100%
Feb 10, 202599%
Feb 11, 202599%
Feb 12, 202599%
Feb 13, 202599%
Feb 14, 2025100%
Feb 15, 2025100%
Feb 16, 2025100%
Feb 17, 202599%

Support for encryption in transit

Below is the percentage of emails encrypted for the top domains in terms of volume of email to and from Gmail, in alphabetical order.

Top domains by region: Inbound

Domain%
From: adtcontrol.com via alarm.com90%
From: alarm.com90%
From: ctbcbank.com via hinet.net54%
From: diamond.co.jp95%
From: mptx.jp via emberpoint.com63%
From: nikkeibp.co.jp87%
From: santander.com.mx via iphmx.com94%
From: sylectus.com25%
From: tim.it95%
From: tradevan.com.tw81%
Mon, Feb 17, 2025

Top domains by region: Outbound

Domain%
To: artandmartha.com0%
To: bri.co.id0%
To: ezweb.ne.jp via au.com0%
To: juno.com via untd.com0%
To: netzero.com via untd.com0%
To: netzero.net via untd.com0%
To: plala.or.jp3%
To: softbank.jp0%
To: softbank.ne.jp0%
To: tiscali.it0%
Mon, Feb 17, 2025

How encryption works

If you mail a letter to your friend, you’re hoping that she’ll be the only person who reads it. But a lot could happen to that letter on its way from you to her, and there may be prying eyes who try to read it. That’s why we send important messages in sealed envelopes rather than on the back of postcards. Sending and receiving email works in a similar way. But when you send or receive messages with an email provider who doesn't transmit messages via a secure connection, your emails could be open to snooping.

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Encryption with Transport Layer Security keeps prying eyes away from your messages while they’re in transit. TLS is a protocol that encrypts and delivers mail securely, for both inbound and outbound mail traffic. It helps prevent eavesdropping between mail servers – keeping your messages private while they're moving between email providers. TLS is being adopted as the standard for secure email.

Encryption depends on everyone

Your messages are encrypted only if you and the people with whom you exchange email both use email providers that support Transport Layer Security. Not every email provider uses TLS, and if you send or receive messages from a provider that doesn't, your message could be read by eavesdroppers. While TLS isn’t a perfect solution, if everyone uses it, snooping on email will be more difficult and costly than it is today.

Let’s make email safer.

More messages encrypted in transit make emails safer for all of us.

Download report data