WhatsApp is building its own cloud for backups, and iPhone users are next
WhatsApp is developing a proprietary cloud storage solution for chat backups, allowing users to bypass iCloud or Google Drive. This feature, currently in beta testing for iOS, aims to provide an alternative storage option for users facing storage quotas on their existing cloud providers.
Why it matters
This shift could significantly impact how millions of users manage their digital storage and data privacy, potentially reducing reliance on major platform ecosystems like Apple and Google.
WhatsApp is testing a way to store your chat backups on its own servers instead of Apple's or Google's. The latest sign came this week from WABetaInfo, the site that digs through unreleased WhatsApp code, which found the feature under development in the WhatsApp beta for iOS build 26.28.10.16 distributed through TestFlight. Backups saved to WhatsApp's own cloud would be end-to-end encrypted by default, with no option to turn that off.
The same feature was spotted on Android back in April. What is new is that WhatsApp is now building it for the iPhone too, which suggests Meta wants both platforms ready before it ships anything publicly.
Nothing here is live yet. The feature is not even in beta testing, and WhatsApp has not announced a timeline.
How WhatsApp backups work today
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