WhatsApp might rescue your iPhone's iCloud storage problem, but there's a catch

WhatsApp is quietly building its own cloud backup service for iPhone, giving iOS users a real alternative to iCloud storage for the first time. Beta code spotted by WABetaInfo reveals tiered storage plans starting at 2 GB free, with mandatory end-to-end encryption on anything stored there, unlike WhatsApp's current iCloud setup.

WhatsApp is testing its own backup servers, and here's what we know

WABetaInfo, the outlet that tracks WhatsApp's code long before anything goes live, found the option buried in the WhatsApp iOS beta (version 26.28.10.16), sitting in TestFlight. According to WABetaInfo, testers will eventually pick their backup destination from the chat backup settings, though iCloud stays the default for anyone who doesn't touch a thing.

The plan mirrors a similar first-party provider that was spotted in WhatsApp's Android beta back in April, with the same tiers on the table:

• 2 GB of free storage to start
• A 50 GB plan for around $0.99 a month, about what Apple charges for its cheapest iCloud+ tier
• A 1 TB option reportedly in the works

Why this matters more if you've ever switched between iPhone and Android

For iPhone owners, the appeal is obvious. Apple's free iCloud tier tops out at just 5 GB, and a dedicated 2 GB WhatsApp bucket, separate from your photos, frees that up for everything else.



What got me thinking is more personal. I've bounced between iPhone and Android more than once (I still remember juggling backups when I had the iPhone Air alongside my Pixels), and losing chat history in that jump is always the most annoying part of switching.

A first-party WhatsApp backup could make that transfer painless since it wouldn't be locked to either Apple's or Google's cloud. I just wish that was the actual pitch instead of a $0.99 a month plan.

The one thing that actually changes: mandatory encryption

The detail worth remembering is what happens to encryption once WhatsApp takes over: iCloud backups only get end-to-end encryption if you dig into Settings and manually turn on Advanced Data Protection. WhatsApp's own cloud, by contrast, is reportedly encrypted by default, with a passkey as the recommended lock, and no way to switch it off short of moving back to iCloud.

Nothing changes for you today, though. The feature isn't live for beta testers yet, and WhatsApp hasn't given a launch date.

My take: a smart fix wrapped in a subscription

My honest read is that this solves a real problem (that stingy 5 GB iCloud tier), but not the one I care about. I'd have loved WhatsApp to let iPhone owners back up straight to Google Drive, since that's what would make hopping between ecosystems less painful.

Instead, Meta gets to sell you a $0.99 plan and call it privacy. Fair enough, a business has to make money somewhere.

I'm just hoping the cross-platform restore idea WABetaInfo mentioned turns out true, because that's the version of this feature I'd actually get excited about.

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