Overview
- Code in WhatsApp’s iOS beta, which WABetaInfo and other outlets revealed Monday, shows the company is developing a first‑party cloud backup provider that is not yet available to testers.
- Backups stored on WhatsApp’s servers are reported to be end‑to‑end encrypted by default with users holding the only keys via a passkey, a password, or a 64‑digit encryption key.
- The service is said to start with 2 GB of free storage and planned paid tiers reported in beta code include a 50 GB plan near $0.99 per month and a 1 TB option, though pricing and tiers remain unconfirmed.
- WhatsApp is expected to let users pick their backup provider from chat settings while keeping iCloud as the default on iPhone, and it is unclear what will happen to existing iCloud backups after switching.
- The feature is still in development with no release date; if launched it could make switching between iPhone and Android easier by enabling WhatsApp‑controlled restore paths and reduce demand for extra iCloud purchases.