WhatsApp is working on increasing the security of its cloud backups with a new password protection feature that’ll encrypt chat backups, making them accessible only to the user according to reports.
WABetaInfo made a report on the feature in 2020, and now it has shared screenshots of how it could be presented in the service’s iOS and Android apps.
“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,” according to one of the screenshots.
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The app will then ask the user to confirm their phone number, and a password of their own choosing that’s at least eight characters long. In another screenshot, the company warns that “WhatsApp will not be able to help recover forgotten passwords”.
• The chat database is already encrypted now (excluding media), but the algorithm is reversible and it’s not end-to-end encrypted.
• Local Android backups will be compatible with this feature.The chat DB and media will be encrypted using a password that only you know. https://t.co/WAliLUnF18
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 8, 2021
WhatsApp chats have end-to-end encryption, meaning they’re only visible to the sender and recipient. However the company warns that the protection doesn’t extend to online backups stored on Google Drive and iCloud.
WhatsApp says that the security of the backups is the responsibility of the cloud service providers. Encrypting the backups with a password only you know would theoretically prevent anyone from accessing your chat history.
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