Keep your data private before uploading to the cloud
WhatsApp has been working on encrypted backups for some time now, with early mumblings first appearing way back in March. Last month, Facebook detailed its plans to add two unique options offering extra protection for your account. The latest WhatsApp has great news for any privacy-minded person, as the app is finally implementing end-to-end encryption for backups.
As Facebook covered in its extensive blog post in September, you can choose between a 64-bit encryption key and a cloud-based key with a personal password — whichever you prefer (via WABetaInfo). Your data is still stored in either Google Drive or iCloud (if you’re on iOS), but everything is encrypted before uploading.
Keep in mind that, as with most other protected services, if your password is lost — whether it’s a 64-bit key or the much simpler personal passcode — you’re out of luck. WhatsApp won’t be able to help you get access back, and your data will remain inaccessible.
WABetaInfo reports this feature is available in version 2.21.21.5, though not every user can enable it just yet. It’ll continue to roll out over several subsequent app updates, so you might have to be just a little more patient. If you aren’t in WhatsApp’s beta program, you can attempt to join using the Play Store link below or just grab the APK from APK Mirror.
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