WhatsApp this week announced that it is adding passkey-encrypted chat backups, allowing users to protect their stored messages using Touch ID or Face ID instead of a 64-digit key.


The feature extends the app’s 2021 end-to-end encrypted backup system, which previously required users to create and save a lengthy key to restore chats. With passkeys, authentication uses each device’s built-in authentication hardware like ‌Touch ID‌ or ‌Face ID‌, meaning the private cryptographic key never leaves the…