Overview
- Reporter checks of an iOS beta build revealed that WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud backup provider for iPhone that is not yet available to general beta or public users.
- Backups saved to WhatsApp's servers will be end-to-end encrypted by default and only accessible to holders of the user-set key.
- Users would be able to protect backups with a passkey, a password, or a 64-digit encryption key according to the beta details that were reported.
- The service is reported to include a small free tier of 2 GB and preliminary plans for paid tiers such as roughly 50 GB at about $0.99 per month and larger plans, though prices and sizes may change.
- WhatsApp controls of the backup infrastructure could allow cross-platform restores and would free iCloud or Google Drive space for users who switch, but the restore capability and a public release date remain unconfirmed.