WhatsApp to Add Support for Passkey-Encrypted Backups
WhatsApp this week announced that it is adding passkey-encrypted chat backups, allowing users to protect their stored messages using Touch ID or Face ID instead of a 64-digit key.
The feature extends the app's 2021 end-to-end encrypted backup system, which previously required users to create and save a lengthy key to restore chats. With passkeys, authentication uses each device's built-in authentication hardware like Touch ID or Face ID, meaning the private cryptographic key never leaves the phone. This makes backups both more secure and much easier to restore.
The rollout is set to be global and gradual over the coming weeks. Users can enable it via Settings → Chats → Chat backup → End-to-end encrypted backup once available. iCloud and Google Drive remain the storage destinations for iOS and Android, respectively. The move continues Meta's broader adoption of passkeys, which WhatsApp first supported for account logins in 2023.
Popular Stories
Popular Meta chat app WhatsApp today gained guest calling, a feature that lets users invite anyone to join a voice or video call, even if the invitee doesn't have a WhatsApp account.
WhatsApp says everyone has access to free, end-to-end encrypted calls with no time limits and support for up to 32 people at once.
A guest joining a call needs permission from the call host, and guests will...
WhatsApp is developing an optional in-app browser for its iPhone app that would let users open any link shared in chats without leaving the app, according to WABetaInfo.
A new "In-app browser" option under Settings and Chats would let users enable the feature or continue opening links in their default browser. Users would also be able to clear cookies, cache, and other browsing data. The...
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day.
Many apps are shown in landscape...
![Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]](https://images.macrumors.com/t/Okb7kitB_gNr6qe5Pex9nQIysD8=/112x112/article-new/2026/01/Apple-Creator-Studio-iWork-suite.jpg)
