WhatsApp can now use passkeys to secure your backups

An illustration of a green vault. — Say hello to passkey backup encryption.

WhatsApp is introducing a passwordless way to instantly secure your chat backups. The messaging platform is launching passkey-encrypted backups for iOS and Android, allowing users to quickly encrypt their stored message history using their face, fingerprint, or device screen lock code.

The update is rolling out “gradually over the coming weeks and months,” according to WhatsApp, and will make it easier to apply the same security measures that protect personal chats and calls to backups. End-to-end encryption for backups was already introduced in 2021, but required WhatsApp users to save a 64-digit encryption key or create a password tied to the key.

Passkeys, a login technology that replaces passwords with authentication systems like facial recognition built into your devices, removes these cumbersome steps. Instead, users can sign into accounts or secure their data by tapping or glancing at their device. WhatsApp already rolled out passkey support for account logins in 2023, with this latest passkey expansion suggesting that the platform is taking steps to embrace a future that ditches passwords entirely.

“Many of us carry years of precious memories in our WhatsApp chats – photos, heartfelt voice notes, and important conversations,” WhatsApp said in its announcement. “That’s why protecting them if you ever lose your phone or need to transfer to a new device is so important.”

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