Today was a busy day for WhatsApp users. After confirming passkey support on Android and iOS, the company released a TestFlight build with a long-awaited feature for Apple Watch users. Here are the details.
As we noted this morning, Meta confirmed today that WhatsApp will soon roll out passkey-encrypted backups to all users, although it may be a while before you get it, as the rollout will be gradual “over the coming weeks and months”.
From the WhatsApp official blog:
“Passkeys will allow you to use your fingerprint, face, or screen lock code to encrypt your chat backups instead of having to memorize a password or a cumbersome 64-digit encryption key. Now, with just a tap or a glance, the same security that protects your personal chats and calls on WhatsApp is applied to your chat backups so they are always safe, accessible and private.”
Meta also said that users can get started by heading to Settings > Chats > Chat backup > End-to-end encrypted backup in the app.
Finally, an Apple Watch app
Today’s second bit of WhatsApp-related news wasn’t announced by Meta, but instead spotted by WABetainfo.
According to the website, a new WhatsApp build on TestFlight today introduced an Apple Watch app, which should fix the limited native support that Apple Watch users have had to rely on when trying to quickly handle WhatsApp notifications.
WABetaInfo notes that this is still not a standalone WhatsApp app for the Apple Watch, as it still relies on the iPhone. However, it does bring most of the essential messaging features, including chat browsing, quick replies, and emoji reactions, directly to the watch.
Here’s WABetaInfo:
“The connection between WhatsApp on your iPhone and your Apple Watch is fully automatic. This means that users do not need to scan any QR code to link their WhatsApp account, as long as the Apple Watch is already paired with the iPhone. The app relies on an indicator at the top left of the screen to inform users when Apple Watch is syncing, connected, or when connectivity to the iPhone is lost. Once the connection is automatically established, users can scroll through their chat list, making it easier to locate recent conversations and stay up to date directly from their wrist.”
There’s no timeline yet for a wider release or for standalone support, and Meta hasn’t officially commented on it. But we’ll be keeping an eye on future builds, and will report back when the feature becomes official.
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