Skip to main content

WhatsApp continues to make app safer, adds encryption to iCloud backups

1176856 autosave v1 whatsapp phone feature
Image used with permission by copyright holder
WhatsApp is getting even safer to use than it already is. The company has quietly added new security features to the iCloud backup feature of the messaging service, and now WhatsApp iCloud backups will be encrypted.

The move represents the closing of a potential loophole in the end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp, and should ensure that you can more easily keep your private messages private. According to some reports, iCloud backup encryption has been a feature for a few months now, but it only recently became known. One security company, however, claims to have been able to get around the encryption.

Recommended Videos

The company, called Oxygen Forensics, can only circumvent the encryption in a specific scenario: when it has access to the SIM card with the same cell number that WhatsApp uses for verification to generate the encryption key. What that means is that, for example, police with access to a SIM card could potentially use it to gain access to encrypted messages stored in iCloud.

Encryption is a growing concern among consumers, especially considering recent reports about government spying, and the fact that new hacks and malware are discovered all the time. WhatsApp has long been a trailblazer in bringing end-to-end encryption to users, and completed a rollout of the encryption to all of its platforms and users in April 2016. Not only that, but the company has resisted demands from governments asking for access to user data. As a result, the app has been blocked multiple times in Brazil as a penalty for refusing to hand over data.

These battles over user data and encryption are only likely to continue to heat up over the next few months, as governments repeatedly demand access to data, and companies continue to refuse to comply with those demands. In the meantime, however, your iCloud WhatsApp backups are now a little safer.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
In 2023, Apple needs to fix its embarrassing 5GB iCloud limit
Apple ID banner in the Settings app on an iPhone 14 Pro

The year is 2030 and Apple has released its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone 21 Pro Ultra Max Fold. You can get up to 4TB of storage, and prices start at $2,500. But you still only have 5GB of free iCloud storage.

Just kidding. Well, about the hardware part. It’s almost 2023, and yes, Apple still only gives you 5GB of storage for free with iCloud. Seriously? There's no arguing that 5GB is literally nothing these days. It’s shocking how Apple continues to only offer 5GB for free, despite the fact that even competitors offer a little more than that before going to paid tiers. Heading into 2023, it’s time for Apple to bump that up — even just a little bit.
5GB is no longer a realistic number

Read more
What Apple’s iCloud encryption update really means — and why you should care
Apple advanced data protection.

Ask any tech enthusiast why they prefer Apple's ecosystem, and they will answer "security" as one of the key factors. Is Apple's security fortress really unbreachable? No. There are plenty of hacking incidents to prove it. Zero-day vulnerabilities pop up from time to time, and against sophisticated spyware like Pegasus, even Apple has proved to be clueless.

What Apple offers is a higher standard of protection, which also explains why the company has kept piling up on its ecosystem gatekeeping. For example, Apple doesn't allow sideloading and likely never will. It has its own set of tangible benefits. In 2022, Apple is further fortifying its security infrastructure with a trio of features.

Read more
You’ll soon be able to use WhatsApp on more than one phone
Two phones on a table next to each other. One is showing the WhatsApp logo, and the other is running the WhatsApp application.

WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging services in Europe and parts of Asia, is about to close a major flaw. As spotted by the sleuths over on WABetainfo, the company is planning an update that will allow the use of a secondary device -- including another phone or tablet. Currently, WhatsApp only allows phone users to link their account via its web or desktop clients.

The new feature is dubbed companion mode. Once it rolls out, you'll have a workflow that's quite similar to setting up WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp on the desktop. Rather than entering a number, you'll be able to scan a QR code with your main phone to log in to your existing WhatsApp account.

Read more