WhatsApp Might Be Working on Password Protected Backups  

According to some reports, WhatsApp is working to upgrade the security of its cloud backups. The company is planning a new password protection feature to encrypt chat backups. This will make them secure and more accessible only to the user.   

WABetaInfo has reported on the feature with is still in work-in-progress last year. Today, they have shared screenshots of how it could be presented in the service’s iOS and Android apps. 

Also Read: WhatsApp’s App For Desktop Now Has Voice and Video Calls  

“To prevent unauthorized access to your iCloud Drive backup, you can set a password that will be used to encrypt future backups,” one of the screenshots reads.   

“This password will be required when you restore from the backup.” The app then asks the user to confirm their phone number, and select a password that’s at least eight characters long. Another screenshot warns that “WhatsApp will not be able to help recover forgotten passwords.”  

Though their chats are encrypted and can be visible to the sender and recipient, the service has previously warned that this protection doesn’t extend to online backups.   

Once backups get stored in the servers of Google Drive and iCloud the security of the backups is their responsibility. Encrypting the backups with a password would theoretically prevent anyone from accessing them without your authorization.  

Reports about the feature come as the company’s reputation takes a hit from a new privacy policy. The new policy has stoked fears that the company might store and share more information with its parent Facebook. Though WhatsApp has insisted that the policy doesn’t affect the security, rival messaging services such as Signal and Telegram have seen a surge in interest.