Overview
- WhatsApp announced passkey protection for end-to-end encrypted chat backups, with availability on iOS and Android and reports of a phased rollout over the coming weeks.
- Passkeys let users authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, a fingerprint, or a device code instead of passwords or 64‑character recovery keys.
- New, unique cryptographic key pairs are generated on the device so only the creator can unlock and restore the backup.
- Activation lives in Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > End-to-end encrypted backup, where users choose their preferred authentication method.
- The feature works with Google Drive and iCloud backups, which count against cloud storage limits, and losing all devices without an alternate recovery method can make old backups unrecoverable.