Encrypt WhatsApp Chat – For more than two billion individuals globally, WhatsApp serves as their main communication tool. This is due to its abundance of features and free nature, which include web interface, channels, communities, real-time multimedia-rich chat, high-quality audio and video calling with numerous users, and more.
WhatsApp has a ton of features, but it also encrypts conversations end-to-end. This implies that no one, not even the firm, can access the messages or media from a specific conversation; they are only visible to the participants. Although encryption prevents unauthorized parties from reading your messages, it does not protect the backup of your WhatsApp chat that is kept on iCloud or Google Drive.
The absence of encryption in cloud backup creates a possible backdoor that can let unauthorized people access your conversations. In addition to hackers who might threaten to release your personal information, this might also be used by law enforcement or government organizations to surreptitiously monitor on specific individuals.
Why Backups Are Not Encrypted By Default
Until 2021, backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud were not encrypted by default, meaning they could potentially be accessed by someone who gained entry to your cloud storage. WhatsApp implemented end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for cloud backups in 2021 to address this security gap, but users must manually enable this feature.
WhatsApp promised to implement encryption for cloud backups in 2021 as a fix. Chat backups are encrypted using a distinct 64-digit cryptographic key that is kept on the Android or iPhone inside a specialized hardware part known as a hardware security module (HSM). As stated in an official blog post by Meta. Either save the key directly, or store it on your phone and retrieve it with a password.
But by default, the option is disabled. Here’s how to encrypt your iOS and Android WhatsApp chat backup.
How To Encrypt Android Chat Backups For WhatsApp
To encrypt WhatsApp chat backups on an Android device, take the following actions:
- Launch WhatsApp, click the three dots in the upper right corner, then select “Settings.”
- To access the backup options, select Chats, scroll down, and then hit “Chat backup”.
- Select “Back up to Google Drive” and then “Daily, Weekly, or Monthly” to enable automatic backup. You might need to use your Google account to grant access to Google Drive if this is your first time doing this.
- Select “End-to-end encryption backup” from the same page. On the ensuing screen, select “Turn on.”
- You can now select between a 64-digit key and a password. To use a password instead, select “Create password.” At least seven characters, including one letter, are required in this password.
- Then, to double-check your previous password entry, tap “Next” and input it again. Once more, press “Next.”
- Permission to build an encrypted backup of your WhatsApp conversations is requested on the next screen. Press “Create” to start the creation process.
- In Step 5, if you selected the 64-digit encryption, WhatsApp will provide a special key. Press and hold the key, select “Copy,” and then copy and paste it into Notes or a text document. Make sure you keep it safely in a couple locations so you can get to it quickly.
How To Encrypt An iPhone’s WhatsApp Chat History
With a few minor variations, the procedures for encrypting your WhatsApp chat backup from your iPhone are the same as those for Android:
- Select Settings from the bottom right menu when you launch WhatsApp.
- Make sure Auto Backup is enabled by tapping Chat Backup after selecting Chats. After selecting “End-to-end Encrypted Backup,” click “Turn On” to proceed to the next screen.
- Select a 64-bit encryption key or a password.
- If you would rather have a password, make sure it has at least seven characters total, one of which must be a letter. To confirm, enter the password again.
- To encrypt your WhatsApp backup, select Create in the concluding stage. In a matter of minutes, this new backup will automatically replace your current chat backup on iCloud; the exact amount of time will depend on the size of your backup and the speed of your internet connection.
As an alternative, you can protect the backup of your WhatsApp chat by turning on end-to-end encryption for all of your iCloud storage. To accomplish this, navigate to Settings > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection on your iPhone, then turn on “Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.” As an alternative to WhatsApp’s backup encryption, this solution also has the benefit of making the restoration of the backup easier by adding encryption keys to KeyChain and syncing them across all devices.
It’s important to note that Apple lets iPhone customers save their whole device—including files and apps—to iCloud, saving them the trouble of having to configure a new iPad or iPhone. Additionally, as part of the device backup, your locally stored WhatsApp data (chats, files, media, etc.) is backed up to iCloud.
Important Update: iCloud’s “Advanced Data Protection” feature allows for the encryption of all your iCloud data, including your WhatsApp backup. This provides an additional layer of security, but it’s important to note that this feature may complicate recovery if you forget your encryption key
How to reset your password or disable the backup encryption on WhatsApp
Although your communications are protected when you encrypt your WhatsApp backup on Google Drive or iCloud, there are situations in which you may need to disable encryption. When transferring your WhatsApp conversations from Android to iOS or vice versa, this may be extremely relevant.
To turn off WhatsApp backup encryption, do the following:
- From WhatsApp’s Settings, open Chat Backup and select “End-to-end encrypted backup.”
- After selecting “Turn off,” input the 64-digit key or your encryption password.
- To turn off encryption, tap “Turn off” on the next screen.
You may still decrypt data from your WhatsApp backup even if you misplace the encryption key or forget your password. This is made feasible by the fact that the encryption key is locally saved on your phone and is accessible through biometric authentication. This is what you must do:
- Select End-to-end encrypted backup after selecting Chat backup under Settings, Chats, and WhatsApp.
- select “Change password,” followed by “I forgot my password” as well as “I lost my encryption key.”
- Use the PIN on your phone, Face ID, or your fingerprint to confirm who you are.
- Make a new encryption key or password now.
It is important to note that even though you can reset the encryption password or 64-digit key using the aforementioned instructions, you are unable to retrieve your backup when resetting WhatsApp on a new phone. Resetting your password before switching to a new phone is a smart idea if you have forgotten it because there is no way to remove encryption without having access to the prior key that is saved on your device.
Key Points to Remember:
- Backup Not Encrypted by Default: Your WhatsApp backups are not encrypted by default, so enabling this feature is essential for full protection.
- Secure Storage of Encryption Key: Whether you use a 64-digit key or a password, it’s critical to store it securely, as losing access to this key will prevent recovery of your backup.
- Biometric Authentication: If you forget your encryption password, you can reset it using biometric authentication on your phone. However, this must be done before switching devices.