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WhatsApp Is Developing Encrypted First-Party Cloud Backups

The project signals a push to ease pressure on limited Google Drive or iCloud space.

Overview

  • WABetaInfo reported Tuesday that WhatsApp is building a Chat Backup Provider that stores chat data on its own cloud with end-to-end encryption by default.
  • The feature under development would let people choose WhatsApp storage or keep using Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iPhone.
  • Backups on WhatsApp servers would require encryption with a passkey set as the default method, while a password or a 64-digit key would remain options.
  • Reports point to up to 2 GB of free space on WhatsApp cloud with a possible 50 GB plan near $0.99, though both details could change during testing.
  • WhatsApp plans staged testing before a gradual beta rollout, which could help heavy chat users avoid paying for extra third-party cloud storage.