WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption for an excellent messaging app. This support was released to everyone in 2016 so that users can rest assured that WhatsApp cannot intercept and read their messages from the encrypted side of the sender and can delete them before they reach the recipient.
For more than a year, WhatsApp has been working on end-to-end backup. This feature was released to beta testers earlier in July this year and is now finally announced (via SammyFans) on a stable channel.
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Recently, WhatsApp announced that the latest end-to-end encrypted backup feature has begun to roll out the latest WhatsApp updates for iOS and Android. With this new feature, you can now use a unique password or 64-bit encryption key to back up your chat backups.
The end-to-end encrypted backup on WhatsApp uses a new end-to-end encryption system, which is available for iOS and Android. The system uses a unique random key to encrypt the chat backup. You can save the key manually or by a password.
If you choose the backup password, you will get the option to access the hardware security module-based backup Keystore to retrieve the encryption key and remove the backup encryption. The vault will force a password verification attempt, and if you enter the wrong password multiple times, the key will be permanently inaccessible. This can prevent brute force attacks.
If you enter the correct password, Backup Key Vault will confirm it. After confirmation, it sends the encryption key to the WhatsApp client. With the key, the WhatsApp client can encrypt the backup, allowing you to access your conversations.
In case you are using a 64-digit encryption key, you will need to save it manually and enter the key to access your chat backup. In any case, WhatsApp or your backup service provider (Google Drive or iCloud) will be able to read your backups or access the key needed to unlock them.
For end-to-end encrypted backups:
- Open WhatsApp settings.
- Navigate to Chats.
- Chat Backups.
- End-to-End Encrypted Backup.
- Tap on continue and follow the prompts to create a password or key.
- Finally, tap done and wait for WhatsApp to prepare your end-to-end encrypted backup.
