Twitter is reportedly working on bringing end-to-end encryption to the social network's direct messages, with CEO Elon Musk appearing to confirm it.

Twitter had previously worked on what it called secret conversations but ditched development before the feature saw the light of day. Now, researcher Jane Manchun Wong says that code in Twitter for Android appears to suggest that work is back underway and that encrypted direct messages are being tested.

Following the tweet, Musk replied with a winking emoji which appears to suggest that Twitter is indeed working on a feature that would make it a viable option for people who want to send and receive messages in a secure fashion. Apps such as WhatsApp and Signal already offer end-to-end encryption, while Apple's iMessage has a complicated history in that regard.

Apple says iMessages are not encrypted when iCloud backups are enabled, meaning Twitter could soon be a more secure method of communication than the feature built into every iPhone on the planet.

There's no timeline for when encrypted Twitter direct messages could launch, but Musk has already suggested that he requires Twitter to iterate quickly. It's possible that Musk could also put secure messaging behind the Twitter Blue paywall, while support in third-party apps could also be limited to push people to use the official Twitter apps and website.

Musk recently confirmed that Twitter Blue will relaunch on 29 November following a disastrous launch earlier this month that saw companies and official bodies being impersonated by people who paid for a blue verified checkmark.