WhatsApp is reportedly working on adding encryption protection to cloud backups in a move that will bring added security to user communications.
According to WABetaInfo, the Facebook-owned cross-platform centralized messaging and voice-over service is adding a new password protection feature that’ll encrypt chat backups, making them only accessible to the user.
The encryption will be available to users once they install the 2.20.60.27 iOS update from TestFlight.
WABetainfo shared screenshots with readers on how the new encryption feature would look in-app.
“To prevent unauthorized access to your iCloud Drive backup, you can set a password that will be used to encrypt future backups. This password will be required when you restore from the backup,” read one of the screenshots.
The app will then ask the user to confirm their phone number and select a password that’s at least eight characters long. The app warns users that WhatsApp will not be able to help users recover forgotten passwords.
Currently, WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted, but that protection does not extend to the online backups stored on Google Drive and iCloud. The online backups of conversations are protected by the privacy policies of the cloud service providers.
Unfortunately for privacy concerned WhatsApp users, the cloud service providers have been known to give the backups to law enforcement agencies with the proper warrant.
The new feature comes at an opportune time for WhatsApp. It recently struggled to explain its privacy policy update, leading users to believe the company may store more information with parent company Facebook.
WhatsApp reassured its users that it was not sharing their information with Facebook. However, the miscommunication caused other apps like Signal and Telegram to see their user base grow at WhatsApp’s expense.
“WhatsApp was built on a simple idea: what you share with your friends and family stays between you. This means we will always protect your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption so that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see these private messages. It’s why we don’t keep logs of who everyone’s messaging or calling. We also can’t see your shared location, and we don’t share your contacts with Facebook,” said WhatsApp in a blog post addressing the confusion.
WhatsApp has yet to comment on the unannounced feature, but WABetaInfo has a good track record of unearthing features.
