Over a month ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that WhatsApp would receive end-to-end encrypted backups in the future. The new feature will now be gradually introduced to all users.
WhatsApp introduced encryption for its messaging service in 2016 – although there have recently been doubts about claims that it prevents surveillance. Now the Facebook-owned service has announced that its own chat backup will be end-to-end encrypted when users save it to either Google Drive or Apple's iCloud. In a blog post is called it:
Many users want a way to back up their chats in case they lose their phone. Starting today, we're offering an additional, optional layer of security to protect backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud with end-to-end encryption. You can now secure your end-to-end encrypted backup with either a password of your choice or a 64-character encryption key that only you know. Neither WhatsApp nor your backup service provider can read your backups or access the key needed to unlock them.
End-to-end encrypted backups in WhatsApp: The availability
WhatsApp has more than two billion users, and "we will slowly roll out this feature to users on the latest version" of the WhatsApp app. Regarding availability, WhatsApp explains that while the feature will be included in the latest version, not everyone will have access to it. Access will be gradual, so it may take some time before all users can access it. Once the feature has been rolled out, here's how to proceed: Open WhatsApp, go to Settings -> Chats -> Chat Backups -> End-to-End Encrypted Backup, and follow the instructions. (Photo by Unsplash / Jeremy Bezanger)
