WhatsApp may soon let iPhone users back up chats without iCloud
If you’re one of those who’s constantly struggling with WhatsApp chat backups due to lack of iCloud storage space, there’s good news for you. WhatsApp is reportedly developing its own cloud backup service for iPhone users, giving them an alternative to Apple’s iCloud for the first time. The feature, spotted in the latest iOS beta by WABetaInfo, is still under development, but it could help users free up precious iCloud storage while offering end-to-end encrypted backups by default. The feature follows a similar effort already underway for Android, where WhatsApp is working on an alternative to Google Drive for chat backups.
How the new backup option could work
According to the leak, WhatsApp will allow iPhone users to choose between backing up chats to iCloud or WhatsApp’s own cloud servers directly from the Chat Backup settings. iCloud is expected to remain the default option, but users will be able to switch providers at any time.
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Unlike iCloud backups, which require users to manually enable end-to-end encryption, backups stored on WhatsApp’s servers will reportedly be encrypted by default. Users will be able to secure them using a passkey, password or a 64-digit encryption key, with WhatsApp saying only the user will be able to access the backup.
This could also ease cross-platform chat restores in the future, allowing backups created on one operating system to be restored on another. However, that capability is still being explored and hasn’t been confirmed.
Expected WhatsApp cloud storage plans
WhatsApp is reportedly planning to offer 2GB of free cloud storage for chat backups. Users with larger backups, particularly those who share a lot of photos and videos, may eventually have the option to subscribe to paid plans. Early reports point to a 50GB tier priced around USD 0.99 (around Rs 95) per month, alongside a 1TB plan for heavier users, although these details could change before launch.
The feature addresses a common pain point for iPhone users. Apple includes 5GB of free iCloud storage, which is shared across photos, files, device backups and apps. Large WhatsApp backups can quickly consume that quota, often forcing users to either delete files or upgrade to a paid iCloud plan.
Availability
The new backup provider is currently under development and isn’t yet available, even for beta testers. WhatsApp has also not announced an official release timeline.
For users invested in WhatsApp running out of iCloud space, the feature could offer greater flexibility without compromising privacy. However, since it is still in development, it remains unclear whether Meta will launch it with the reported storage limits and pricing. If rolled out as described, it would also bring iPhone users closer to feature parity with Android, where WhatsApp is developing the same independent backup solution.
