Should you backup WhatsApp data?

backup WhatsApp data

WhatsApp is used by around 200 crore people worldwide. Therefore, the safety of chats on this platform is a matter of special concern. The company has repeatedly said that chats with WhatsApp are safe. But is all WhatsApp chat safe? WhatsApp is one of the most used apps by most of the smartphone users around the world. It’s also common to back up anytime chats. This article describes more about backup WhatsApp data.

But some people do not know what happens when chats are backed up. It’s a good habit to delete private chats that you’ve made and no longer seem necessary. It’s also natural that your account should be secured using two-factor authentication. However, a small mistake can ruin the whole job. Those who are skeptical about such things should keep the following in mind.

WhatsApp chats backed up to Google Cloud or iCloud have no security. WhatsApp skyrocketing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) only works within WhatsApp. The moment you take chats outside of WhatsApp, they become insecure. What happens next will not be encrypted. In short, all the files and chats backed up to Google Drive and iCloud will be unencrypted. Anyone who can access your chat backup can check them out. Using a strong PIN is just one of the things you need to do to make sure no one is using your account.

If you use WhatsApp’s two-factor authentication, your account can only be used by someone else if you have received their six-digit code. Even if a hacker clones your phone or sim, they will still need two-factor authentication to use the account.

However, if you can copy the IMEI number of the phone at the time of cloning, you can check all your backup data. Phone cloning is not legal in most countries. However, government officials have permission to do so. They can clone your phone and check all the WhatsApp data using forensic methods. They can also check the data stored in iCloud or Google Drive.

WhatsApp requires you to submit an email ID as part of Two Factor Authentication. However, this may not be the case. Also, keep in mind that WhatsApp does not verify email IDs. If you mistype your mail id, then restoring your WhatsApp account will not be easy. Especially if you forget the WhatsApp PIN.

You may feel the need to transfer your WhatsApp chats to Mail. Still, they have no encryption. It can also be stored on a microSD card or pen drive. WhatsApp also allows both of these. All files can be easily copied and pasted. Needless to say, there will still be no encryption.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all WhatsApp chats can be deleted from Google Drive and elsewhere. Similarly, chat back-up on the phone can be completely deleted using any file manager.

What will happen to the chats if I buy an Android phone instead of an iPhone?

WhatsApp does not officially allow you to transfer your old chats to your new phone if you buy an Android phone or an Android phone. But there are third-party apps that do this. Using these can save old chats from being deleted.

I believe this article helps you to know more about backup WhatsApp data. Use social media safely to protect your data.

Read also,
How to set two factor authentication on WhatsApp ?
How to share larger files through Whatsapp ?
How to change video call background in different apps ?

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