Apps
WhatsApp is upping its security, allowing users to encrypt online backups
WhatsApp continues to make pushes towards more privacy.
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WhatsApp chats are already encrypted end-to-end, and it seems that your chat backups are about to get the same treatment. In an upcoming update to WhatsApp, online backups of your chat history will be encrypted with a password that only you know.
First noticed by WABetaInfo last year, the feature will protect your backups in case someone gets into your iCloud or Google Drive account, or if the cloud provider gets a subpoena from law enforcement.
You’ll get the option to set a password, which will be required if you want to restore your WhatsApp from the backup file.
The password will need to be at least eight characters long, and you’ll have to confirm your phone number when you set it up. WhatsApp won’t be able to restore any backups if you forget or lose your password, so keep it safe.
While WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption between users, which means that the service can’t read the content of your messages or chats, that protection doesn’t currently extend to cloud backups, where the cloud provider is responsible for the safety of the files.
Once the new WhatsApp feature is out, you’ll be able to encrypt backups as well, making them secure to anyone’s eyes but yours.
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