Unicode Steganography Hider
Hide secret messages in plain text using 4 Unicode methods: Zero-Width Binary, ZW-V2, Homoglyph, or Variation Selectors. AES-256 encryption. Survives Twitter with Homoglyph.
Enter Your Cover Text
The visible text that will contain your hidden message
Try the demo instantly
No upload needed — loads a sample file
100% Client-Side Processing
Your text is processed entirely in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded to any server.
How to Hide a Message in Plain Text (5 steps)
- Enter your cover text — the visible message your secret will hide inside.
- Type your secret message in the payload field.
- Choose a method: Zero-Width Binary (safest), ZW-V2 (compact), Homoglyph (survives Twitter), or Variation Selector (emoji-based).
- Add a password to encrypt the payload (optional but recommended).
- Click 'Hide Message' — copy the output and send it normally.
Unicode Steganography Methods Comparison
| Method | Technique | Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-Width Binary | ZWSP (U+200B) = 0, ZWNJ (U+200C) = 1 | ~1 byte per 8 chars | Maximum compatibility, CTF standard |
| Zero-Width V2 | 8 ZW chars, 3 bits per symbol | ~3 bytes per 8 chars | Compact payload, shorter output |
| Homoglyph | Latin → Cyrillic lookalike substitution | ~1 bit per substitutable char | Survives Twitter/X, Facebook, SMS |
| Variation Selector | U+FE00–U+FE0F after emoji | ~0.5 byte per emoji | CTF challenges, emoji carriers |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Unicode steganography?
Unicode steganography hides data inside ordinary-looking text using invisible Unicode characters (zero-width spaces) or visually identical letter substitutions (homoglyphs). The text looks completely normal — same visible characters, same word count.
Which method should I use?
Zero-Width Binary is recommended for most uses — maximum compatibility and the CTF standard. If you need to send through Twitter/X, Facebook, or SMS, use Homoglyph — it's the only method that survives all platforms.
Can Twitter strip my hidden message?
Yes. Twitter and Facebook strip all zero-width characters. Use Homoglyph method for these platforms — homoglyph substitutions survive copy-paste everywhere because they look like normal characters.
Is this real encryption or obfuscation?
The AES-256-GCM option provides real encryption — the same standard used in TLS and Signal. Without a password, anyone with a decoder can read the hidden message. With encryption, the content is unreadable without the password.
How is this detected?
Zero-width methods are trivially detected by any Unicode scanner — the invisible characters stand out in hex view. Homoglyph is much harder — requires comparing Unicode code points to a reference table. Always use encryption for security.