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WhatsApp is testing a new end-to-end encrypted back-up feature, according to reports.
According to a report by WABetaInfo , the Facebook-owned messaging platform is enabling the back-up encryption feature. This will help users protect their chat history and media from unauthorised access.
The feature is being tested with WhatsApp beta for Android 2.21.15.5.
Password for back-up
Users will need to set a password that will be used to encrypt their future back-ups. They will be required to use this password to restore and access their chat history each time.
The password will be kept private, and will not be shared with other platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Google or Apple, the report said.
The feature will also support an encryption key that can be used to restore the password for end-to-end encrypted back-ups. The key can only contain numeric digits and lowercase letters between ‘a’ and ‘f.’
WhatsApp will be unable to help users recover their password and back-up if they lose this key.
Other new features
Most recently, the messaging platform began testing the multi-device support in public beta.
The new capability allows users to use WhatsApp on their phone and up to four other non-phone devices simultaneously. They can do so even if their phone battery is dead.
“Each companion device will connect to your WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption that people who use WhatsApp have come to expect,” explained an official blog post.
“Importantly, we have developed new technologies to maintain end-to-end encryption while still managing to sync your data — such as contact names, chat archives, starred messages, and more — across devices,” it added.
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