New WhatsApp backup feature is an extra reassurance
WhatsApp will soon come with an extra backup feature with which you can lock the backup to protect it properly.
It is currently already possible to back up conversations in WhatsApp, but they are not necessarily secure. Since the popular chat service has something to prove after the introduction of the controversial privacy conditions, a new feature comes at an excellent time.
WhatsApp’s secure backup
Saving conversations is very handy and is on by default for most people. If your smartphone breaks, or if something should happen to it, you can still retrieve conversations via the cloud. On the other hand, it turns out that this is not yet optimal.
WABetaInfo spot a feature in the beta version of the chat app that allows you to password protect your backup files. This makes conversations, but also media stored on Google Drive or iCloud, a bit safer.
You must therefore enter your password if you want to restore WhatsApp from a backup. In this way, the app creates another barrier to guarantee your privacy.
And as suggested in the intro, the timing is not accidental at all. WhatsApp has been a bit controversial lately due to new privacy terms. Many users feel that – due to the interference of Facebook (the parent company of WhatsApp) – they have to give up their privacy.
So WhatsApp launches a counter-offensive that includes self-destructing images and WhatsApp Web (video) calling with end-to-end encryption. The upcoming backup feature is so far the simplest addition that WhatsApp makes. Not that it is not welcome, but it is only a reassurance for users who are very fond of their privacy.
It is not yet known when the feature will officially roll out to everyone.
Also read: 12 years of WhatsApp: that’s how the service stands
