Although WhatsApp has supported end-to-end encryption of chats for several years, this feature did not include cloud backups to Google Drive or iCloud. The Facebook-owned chat app clearly states in the Android app’s backup settings, “Messages and media backed up in Google Drive are not protected by end-to-end encryption.” The same was true for iCloud backups.
We know the company has been testing encrypted cloud backups for over a year. We started seeing this feature in WhatsApp beta versions a few months ago.
Now users are starting to have the option of end-to-end encryption before uploading their backups to Google Drive or iCloud. WhatsApp says no other global messaging service of this size provides this capability to its customers.
Encrypted chat backups come as an optional security feature. This is because there are a few details that need attention. Backups can be end-to-end encrypted using a password or 64-bit key of your choice, but if a mishap loses access to your chats and you forget your encryption key, there’s no way to restore the backup.
To check if the feature has reached you, you can go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > End-to-End Encrypted Backup.
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