The Facebook group unveiled that the long-awaited end-to-end encryption for the Backups WhatsApp applications are finally implemented in the messaging application. This applies to Android and iOS app users with immediate effect.
Until now, this level of cryptographic protection covered all messages exchanged on WhatsApp, such as individual conversations, calls, as well as chats in WhatsApp groups. Now the same protection includes recordings of conversations, Backups Safety devices made automatically and / or by the user’s hand.
End-to-end encryption also in Backups by WhatsApp
The measure was communicated by Mark Zuckerberg himself through his Facebook profile, as well as through institutional channels through Facebook Newsroom. There, indeed, we would see the detailed explanation of what was the great security function that was missing.
It is, therefore, a greater layer of protection that now includes the data stored in the cloud in backups. The novelty is already rolling out without users having to worry about a manual update.
However, Facebook was careful to explain the gradual and staggered nature of this new update. Although the user does not have to do anything other than wait, it may take a few weeks for the global distribution to cover the entire world.
It is a major security enhancement for WhatsApp.
Currently WhatsApp backups or backups are present in Google Drive or iCloud. Thus, with the new update, they will be protected by a 64-digit cryptographic key (automatic) or a password (to be defined).
As we can attest in the publication available in the newsroomNeither WhatsApp, nor the service where the backup copies are hosted (Google Drive or iCloud) will have access to the content stored there. Therefore, such access is only allowed by providing the access key for unlocking.
In short, users now have full control over WhatsApp backups regardless of their online location.
In theory, this means that no one will be able to access the content of these backups. This is unless they have the 64-digit cryptographic key or user-defined password.
Enable end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp backups
- Open WhatsApp and access the Settings menu
- Chat Access – Chat Backup – Encrypted Peer-to-Peer Backup
- Click Activate and follow the instructions on the screen.
- Finish by clicking Done.
Finally, if you want to disable this feature, just follow the steps above with the necessary details, going through the same menus.