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| WhatsApp is developing a password-encrypted backup |
According to reports, WhatsApp is improving the security of its cloud backups with a new password protection feature (Encrypting Chat Backups) so that only users can access their chat history.
WABetaInfo reported the feature that has been in development since last year, but today it shared a screenshot of how to view the screenshot in the service app for iOS and Android.
One of the screenshots says: You can set a password to encrypt future backups to prevent unauthorized access to your iCloud Drive backups.
According to this information, when restoring from a backup, the app will ask for a password and ask the user to confirm the phone number and choose a password of at least eight characters.
Another screenshot warns that WhatsApp will not be able to recover forgotten passwords.
Although WhatsApp conversations are encrypted all the time, which means they are only visible to the sender and recipient, the service warns that this protection does not apply to online backups stored via Google Drive and iCloud.
Once on these servers, security is taken over by the cloud service provider who in the past allowed law enforcement agencies to access these servers.
Encrypting the backup with a password only the user knows can prevent anyone from accessing the chat history without permission.
These recent reports about the feature come at a time when WhatsApp's reputation has been compromised due to a new privacy policy that raises concerns that more information could be stored on its parent company Facebook.
While WhatsApp insists that the new policy does not put users' personal message security at risk, interest in competing messaging services (like Signal and Telegram) is also growing as users scrutinize other options.
WABetaInfo can take a look back at a long history of success before the feature was officially discovered. Its features include adding contacts via QR codes or expandable messages long before its official announcement.
💣 EXCLUSIVE NEWS FROM @WABetaInfo:
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) April 8, 2019
Spotted the WhatsApp for iPad official app, under development! 🔥https://t.co/3wBlLiWEKq
Open the article for screenshots.
NOTE: WhatsApp for iPad is not available yet and the support will be enabled in future for everyone in a new update.