WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud storage option for chat backups on iPhone, providing users with an alternative to iCloud for the first time, according to app tinkerer WABetaInfo.
Code found in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 26.28.10.16), available through TestFlight, suggests that users will eventually be able to pick their preferred backup destination directly from the app's chat backup settings. iCloud however will remain the default.
The feature harks back to one that WABetaInfo spotted in development for Android back in April, which is set to give users on Google's platform a way to store backups off Google Drive.
Under the plan, WhatsApp will reportedly include 2GB of free storage on its own servers, and there will be a 50GB tier priced at around $0.99 per month, similar to Apple's entry-level iCloud+ plan. There is also said to be a 1TB option in the works, although the tiers and pricing could always change before the backup feature goes live.
Notably, backups kept on WhatsApp's servers will be protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default, with no way to switch encryption off. That's firmer protection than what is offered by iCloud backups, whose users must turn on encryption manually by enabling Advanced Data Protection (ADP). WhatsApp will reportedly recommend securing backups with a passkey, but a password or 64-digit key will also work.
WABetaInfo says the feature is still in development and not yet working for beta testers, and WhatsApp hasn't yet stated when it plans to officially launch the backup alternative.
