WhatsApp Tests Its Own Cloud for Backups on iPhone

WhatsApp has brought its proprietary cloud backup system into beta on iPhone, which was previously only tested on Android. This new feature was identified in version 26.28.10.16, distributed via TestFlight, and for the first time introduces a real alternative to iCloud for chat storage.

Currently, Android users rely on Google Drive for backups, while on iPhone the default destination remains iCloud. With the arrival of the new feature, both platforms will be able to choose between the manufacturer’s native service and the cloud space managed directly by WhatsApp, selectable from the chat backup settings.

The Menlo Park giant will offer 2GB of free storage on its servers. For those with larger archives, a 50GB plan for about $0.99 per month is anticipated, aligned with the basic level of iCloud+, in addition to a 1TB option still being defined in terms of rates and conditions.

End-to-end encryption always active, the difference with iCloud

Security is the element that truly distinguishes WhatsApp's proposal from iCloud. Backups hosted on the company’s servers will be protected by active end-to-end encryption by default, with no option to disable it: a higher level of protection than the current iCloud, where it must be manually enabled via the Advanced Data Protection feature.

To protect data access, WhatsApp will focus on the passkey as the recommended method, with passwords or a 64-character encryption key as alternatives. The rules for Google Drive and iCloud remain unchanged, where the encryption of backups is still optional and at the user's discretion.

The feature is currently not active even for beta testers, and WhatsApp has not communicated a launch window. Development had started in parallel on Android back in April 2026: it is plausible that the company aims for a simultaneous release on both platforms, but definitive timelines and rates are still to be confirmed.