WhatsApp is Reportedly Working on its Own Chat Backup Solution

WhatsApp users may soon no longer need to use Apple iCloud or Google Drive to back up their chat history to the cloud. WABetaInfo is reporting that the messaging app is working on its own chat backup history solution with end-to-end encryption support, and users may get 2GB of free cloud storage to back up their messages and media.

As of today, WhatsApp lets users set up automatic chat backup in case they need to restore their chat history to another device. For additional protection, users can also turn on end-to-end encryption to protect their backups with either a passkey, a 64-digit encryption key, or a password.

The images shared by WABetaInfo reveal an in-development process for choosing a chat backup solution in WhatsApp. On Android, users will be able to choose between the 2GB of storage offered by WhatsApp or their Google Drive storage, which is currently the only choice. Choosing WhatsApp will also let users secure their backup with a passkey, a password, or a 64-digit encryption key.

Because 2GB of storage probably won’t be enough for longtime users, the report says that WhatsApp also plans to offer an additional 50GB of storage at a cost. The price may be around $0.99, though the final pricing could still change. WhatsApp also recently started testing a new ‘Plus’ subscription in select markets with mostly cosmetic features, and it could make sense to add extra cloud storage to the mix.