How to Encrypt your WhatsApp chat backup

WhatsApp uses end-to-end chat encryption automatically with all conversations that take place through it. But this encryption does not include the backups that the platform automatically takes from the conversations.

The platform offers an option that allows you to encrypt this backup directly over the phone, and set a password so that no one can access it.

The importance of encrypting the backup of conversations
Some may not be interested in encrypting the backup of WhatsApp chats, but in fact this step is no less important than encrypting the conversations themselves.

WhatsApp chat backups contain a complete history of all the conversations you have made through your account. Plus all the phone numbers I've talked to or even sent pictures of.

So anyone who accesses this backup can have a complete copy of your private chats.

The user also needs the password to access the backup copy of the conversations, whether they are stored in the cloud or locally.

The company says that encrypting the backup of the conversations makes it difficult to access them without the passcode, even for companies such as Meta, Google or Apple.

Encrypt your WhatsApp chat backup
You can access the option to encrypt backups in the WhatsApp application on iPhone phones easily, by following these steps:

• Head to the main interface of the application and then press the Settings button.
• Then choose Conversations Settings from the menu that appears.
• Then head to the selection of conversation backups via the new menu.
• In this menu you will find an option called Encrypt conversation backups, and you must enable this option.
• When you enable this option, it asks you to enter a 6-character password or use an automatic encryption key.
• After you enter the password and confirm it, you need to press the Create a new backup button for the application to make a new encrypted backup

And when you try to restore a backup of conversations that you've used encryption with, the app asks you to enter the password you created.