WhatsApp offers the option to protect your data backups behind passkeys. The feature is rolling out to Android first.
WhatsApp is adding extra security to the messaging app. WABetaInfo noticed this in the latest Android version of WhatsApp. Soon you’ll be able to secure backups with passkeys. WhatsApp is bringing the feature to Android first, with no trace of it yet in the iOS version.
The use of passkeys is not new to WhatsApp. It has been possible to log in to the messaging app without a password since late 2023. Now WhatsApp is extending the use of passkeys to backups. You’ll be able to secure backups with a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition.
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Slow Adoption
Passkeys were announced with much fanfare about two years ago. The technology aims to provide a safer alternative to passwords and eventually make them disappear altogether. Although most major tech platforms now offer it, users have so far been lukewarm about passkeys.
A passkey is a cryptographic key stored locally on a device. The advantages in terms of security and simplicity seem clear compared to passwords. Yet users experience complexity because passkey support varies from platform to platform. As a result, passwords continue to exist alongside their designated replacement for now.