WhatsApp could be close to introducing end-to-end encrypted backups for Android users.
WABetaInfo reported that WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.21.15.5 was released via the Google Play Beta program on July 16 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, voice messages, documents, status updates, and calls” while they’re in transit.
The company also said that backup files saved to Google Drive or iCloud aren’t encrypted, however, which makes it easier for someone to gain access to the information they contain.
WABetaInfo reported that WhatsApp was testing encrypted cloud backups for its Android and iOS apps in March. Now it seems the feature is starting to roll out to Android beta testers.
The feature reportedly offers two options for securing backups: A user-generated password or a 64-character key that’s restricted to numeric digits (0-9) and lowercase letters (a-f).
It’s important to save that information in a safe place, because if the password or key is forgotten, there’s no way for WhatsApp to restore access to the encrypted backup.
