WhatsApp Chat Backups Get a Major Security Upgrade

Imad KhanLast Updated: Oct 31, 2025

WhatsApp announced on Thursday that users will soon be able to secure their chat backups using just their face, fingerprint, or screen lock code. As the world’s most popular messaging app, WhatsApp plans to roll out this update in the coming months, making it much easier for users to protect their private message history.

The company explained the benefit; you can use a simple tap or a glance. WhatsApp will then apply the same security that protects your personal chats to your backups. This means your saved chats will always be safe and private.

Passkeys are a new and more secure way to log in. They are quickly replacing old-fashioned passwords. You do not need to remember lots of difficult passwords. Instead, passkeys use your face, fingerprint, or screen lock code. This makes signing in much faster. As a result, many companies are starting to use them.

Why You Must Protect Your WhatsApp Chat Backups

Many people use WhatsApp and have years of old messages, photos, and videos. These chats are stored on your phone. However, you can also back them up to Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iPhones).

Here is the important part. If you do not encrypt your WhatsApp Chat Backups, someone else could possibly access and read them. Encryption turns your chats into a secret code that only you can open. Therefore, encrypting your backup removes this risk and keeps your messages private.

How to Encrypt Your Backups Right Now

You do not need to wait for the new passkey feature. You can protect your backups today using a password or a special 64-digit key.

First, you must make sure your chats are being backed up;

Go to Settings in WhatsApp.
Tap on Chats and then Chat backup.
Here, you can back up to your Google Account or iCloud. You can also set an auto-backup schedule (like daily or weekly).

Once your backup is active, you can encrypt it;