It was recently discovered that WhatsApp is testing end-to-end encrypted cloud backup. According to a report, this change is being rolled out to beta testers on the Android and iOS platforms.
The new update of WhatsApp aims to protect backups stored on Google Drive and iCloud by providing users with encryption options. This process adds an extra layer of security to the message history and media files stored in the WhatsApp backup. The instant messaging application was also found separately. The contact information part of the Android application has been redesigned and may soon be available to beta testers. WABetaInfo, the website tracking the beta version of WhatsApp, reported that Facebook’s messaging app has begun to pass the WhatsApp for iOS beta version 2.21.200.14 to test end-to-end encrypted cloud backups for iPhone users. It is said that WhatsApp has also begun to introduce end-to-end encrypted backup options for selected beta testers through the WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.21.21.5.
Last month, WhatsApp announced end-to-end encrypted cloud backup as an optional feature that allows users to protect their message history and media files available on Google Drive and iCloud. The announcement was made a few months after WhatsApp was found to be testing the feature internally. However, the instant messaging application does not provide a specific timeline for when this option will be available to end users.
By enabling end-to-end encrypted backups, you will be able to protect the content of your messages backed up on WhatsApp from third parties-including Google and Apple, which provide cloud services for storing backups. WhatsApp also claimed that even its team cannot access end-to-end encrypted backup content.
It is important to note that users need to remember the password they used to add a new layer of protection to the backup. If the user forgets the password and loses the phone, the encrypted backup will not be restored. WhatsApp also demonstrated the option of using a 64-bit encryption key to add an end-to-end encryption layer to the backup instead of creating a new password. However, the screenshots shared by WABetaInfo show that beta testers on Android are not yet able to use encryption key support.
News Source : Gadgets 360
