Picture your chat history tucked behind a lock only you control. That image is getting closer to reality: WhatsApp is testing its own encrypted cloud backup on iOS, bringing the service one step further from relying solely on Google Drive or iCloud.
The discovery came from WABetaInfo, which spotted the feature in beta build 26.28.10.16 of WhatsApp for iOS. Previously, WhatsApp had been trialing the same capability on Android, but this is the first strong sign the company is preparing parity between platforms.
Privacy-first backups, and a few choices to make
WhatsApp’s cloud will offer 2GB of free encrypted storage. Want more space? The company plans paid tiers too — a 50GB option is expected to cost about €0.92 per month. Users will be able to lock backups with a passkey, a password, or a 64-digit encryption key. Simple. Strong. User-controlled.
Crucially, chats stored on WhatsApp’s cloud will be end-to-end encrypted by default. If you prefer the existing Google Drive or iCloud route, you can keep using those, but they remain optional for encryption at the moment. To turn off WhatsApp’s built-in encryption you would need to switch back to Google Drive on Android or iCloud on iOS.
Why does this matter? Because backups have long been a weak link in chat security: messages are generally protected in transit and at rest on your device, but once sent to third-party clouds they can become harder to control. Giving users a first-party, end-to-end encrypted backup option changes that calculus. It’s not just a convenience play; it’s a privacy statement.
WhatsApp hasn’t announced a public release date. Expect the feature to land first on the beta channel for testers, then roll out more widely once Meta signs off. If you follow privacy closely, this is one beta worth watching.
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