WhatsApp rolls out encrypted chat backups on iPhone

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WhatsApp encrypted chat backup
Ensuring only you have access to your chat data.
Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp’s encrypted backups features is now rolling out on iPhone. Users can create a password to prevent unauthorized access to their chat data, while still uploading it to iCloud or Google Drive for their convenience.

The feature ensures that your WhatsApp chats are protected, even if the backup file itself somehow makes it into the wrong hands.

WhatsApp brings encrypted backups to iPhone

“While end-to-end encrypted messages you send and receive are stored on your device, many people also want a way to back up their chats in case they lose their phone,” WhatsApp explains in its latest blog post.

“Starting today, we are making available an extra, optional layer of security to protect backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud with end-to-end encryption.”

Encrypted backups can be protected by a password or a 64-digit encryption key that only you know. Once the backup is protected, neither WhatsApp nor your backup host — Apple or Google — can access your backup data.

This means that even if any of these companies were compelled to hand over your data, or of your data was exposed as a result of a hack, the actual content within your backup remains protected and unaccessible to anyone but you.

Rolling out now

“No other global messaging service at this scale provides this level of security for their users’ messages, media, voice messages, video calls, and chat backups,” WhatsApp says.

Encrypted backups are rolling out “slowly” to those who have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on iPhone or Android. You’ll be able to set up the feature within WhatsApp’s settings menu when it hits your device.

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