WhatsApp Might Soon Let iPhone Users Back Up Chats Without Using iCloud Storage

WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud backup service for iPhone users, giving them an alternative to iCloud for the first time. Code discovered in the iOS beta (version 26.28.10.16) reveals a new backup provider selector that will let users choose between iCloud and WhatsApp’s own servers.

The offering comes with 2GB of free storage, enough to offload chat histories that quietly eat into Apple’s 5GB iCloud tier. For heavier users, a 50GB plan priced at $0.99 per month — matching Apple’s entry-level iCloud+ — and a 1TB option are reportedly in the pipeline.

The privacy shift that actually matters

Here’s where it gets interesting. Backups stored on WhatsApp’s servers will be end-to-end encrypted by default, with no way to disable it. On iCloud, users have to manually enable Advanced Data Protection to get the same level of security — a step most people never take. WhatsApp will recommend passkeys for encryption, though passwords or 64-digit keys also work.

Critically, not even Meta can access these backups. The company’s HSM-based Backup Key Vault infrastructure, which stores recovery codes in tamper-resistant hardware, underpins this system.

The cross-platform angle

WhatsApp controlling its own backup infrastructure could eventually enable something users have wanted for years: switching between iPhone and Android without losing chat history. The Android version of this feature is already in development as an alternative to Google Drive.

There’s skepticism. Trusting Meta with chat backups raises privacy concerns regardless of encryption promises. And stronger encryption carries a real risk: lose your recovery key, and your backup is gone permanently.

The feature is still in development with no release date. iCloud remains the default. But the direction is clear — Meta is building infrastructure to reduce dependence on Apple and Google, one backup at a time.

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