WhatsApp has started adding a new passwordless security option for chat backups while also preparing tools that will connect users across different messaging platforms in Europe. The two updates show how the company is refining both privacy protection and regulatory compliance as its messaging ecosystem becomes more open.
The new passkey backup feature lets users secure their stored messages using their fingerprint, face scan, or device unlock code rather than a long password or encryption key. It is being introduced gradually on iOS and Android, giving users a simpler and safer way to protect archived conversations on iCloud or Google Drive.
Passkeys replace traditional passwords with a system that relies on cryptographic keys unique to each device. When a user enables the feature, the phone generates a private key that never leaves the device and a public key shared with the app’s servers. This separation prevents anyone from stealing the authentication data during a breach, since there’s nothing stored online that can be copied or reused elsewhere. The result is an encrypted backup that can be unlocked instantly through the same biometric system already used to open the app or authenticate payments.
The idea behind this change is not just convenience but consistency. Until now, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption covered chats and calls, but backups still required a manually set password or a lengthy recovery key. By integrating passkeys, Meta is extending the same protection standards across the entire messaging cycle, ensuring that stored data remains private without asking users to memorize complex codes.
While the backup upgrade is rolling out globally, the company is simultaneously testing a feature in Europe that could reshape how people communicate across different chat platforms. Under development in recent Android betas, WhatsApp is building interoperability tools that allow users to send and receive messages with people using other messaging apps. The project stems from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which requires major platforms to make their core services compatible with competing ones.
Once enabled, the interoperability feature will let WhatsApp users exchange messages, photos, videos, and voice notes with contacts from supported external apps. Users will be able to manage this experience through privacy controls that determine who can add them to third-party chats or group conversations. These settings will include options that limit invitations to known contacts or selected services, giving users precise control over visibility and unwanted requests.
Security remains central to this expansion. WhatsApp will require external messaging providers to demonstrate equivalent encryption standards before connecting their systems. The platform encourages partners to adopt the Signal Protocol, already used for WhatsApp’s internal encryption, though other compatible systems may be approved after technical verification. This ensures that cross-platform communication maintains the same level of privacy expected inside WhatsApp’s own network.
Group chats are also being adapted for this environment. Each participant in a cross-app group will need to enable interoperability, allowing messages and media to move securely between services. Although some native features like stickers or disappearing messages won’t initially carry over, WhatsApp plans to refine these functions after the basic structure is stable.
By pairing passwordless backups with the coming interoperability framework, WhatsApp is reinforcing its dual priorities: stronger personal security and regulatory compliance. Together, they mark a shift from isolated platforms toward a more connected but still encrypted messaging world — one where privacy and openness can coexist within the same ecosystem.
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The new passkey backup feature lets users secure their stored messages using their fingerprint, face scan, or device unlock code rather than a long password or encryption key. It is being introduced gradually on iOS and Android, giving users a simpler and safer way to protect archived conversations on iCloud or Google Drive.
Passkeys replace traditional passwords with a system that relies on cryptographic keys unique to each device. When a user enables the feature, the phone generates a private key that never leaves the device and a public key shared with the app’s servers. This separation prevents anyone from stealing the authentication data during a breach, since there’s nothing stored online that can be copied or reused elsewhere. The result is an encrypted backup that can be unlocked instantly through the same biometric system already used to open the app or authenticate payments.
The idea behind this change is not just convenience but consistency. Until now, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption covered chats and calls, but backups still required a manually set password or a lengthy recovery key. By integrating passkeys, Meta is extending the same protection standards across the entire messaging cycle, ensuring that stored data remains private without asking users to memorize complex codes.
While the backup upgrade is rolling out globally, the company is simultaneously testing a feature in Europe that could reshape how people communicate across different chat platforms. Under development in recent Android betas, WhatsApp is building interoperability tools that allow users to send and receive messages with people using other messaging apps. The project stems from the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which requires major platforms to make their core services compatible with competing ones.
Once enabled, the interoperability feature will let WhatsApp users exchange messages, photos, videos, and voice notes with contacts from supported external apps. Users will be able to manage this experience through privacy controls that determine who can add them to third-party chats or group conversations. These settings will include options that limit invitations to known contacts or selected services, giving users precise control over visibility and unwanted requests.
Security remains central to this expansion. WhatsApp will require external messaging providers to demonstrate equivalent encryption standards before connecting their systems. The platform encourages partners to adopt the Signal Protocol, already used for WhatsApp’s internal encryption, though other compatible systems may be approved after technical verification. This ensures that cross-platform communication maintains the same level of privacy expected inside WhatsApp’s own network.
Group chats are also being adapted for this environment. Each participant in a cross-app group will need to enable interoperability, allowing messages and media to move securely between services. Although some native features like stickers or disappearing messages won’t initially carry over, WhatsApp plans to refine these functions after the basic structure is stable.
By pairing passwordless backups with the coming interoperability framework, WhatsApp is reinforcing its dual priorities: stronger personal security and regulatory compliance. Together, they mark a shift from isolated platforms toward a more connected but still encrypted messaging world — one where privacy and openness can coexist within the same ecosystem.
Read next:
• Study Maps the Divide Between AI-Generated Results and Traditional Search Lists
• AI Tools May Improve Reasoning but Distort Self-Perception
