The messaging service may soon offer end-to-end encrypted backups to Google Drive.
WhatsApp may be about to introduce end-to-end encrypted backups for Android users.
WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp Beta version 2.21.15.5 for Android was released on July 16 through the Google Play Beta program with support for encrypted backups to Google Drive.
WhatsApp said in a Help Center article that it uses end-to-end encryption to secure “messages, photos, videos, voicemails, documents, status updates and calls” in transit. However, the company also said that backup files stored in Google Drive or iCloud aren’t encrypted, making it easier for someone to access the information they contain.
WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp tested encrypted cloud backups for its Android and iOS apps in March. Now it looks like the feature will be rolling out to Android beta testers.
The feature would offer two options for protecting backups: a user-generated password or a 64-character key limited to numbers (0-9) and lowercase letters (a-f). It is important to keep this information in a safe place because if the password or key is forgotten, WhatsApp has no way of restoring access to the encrypted backup.
