Hopefully this latest news shows that we will soon get what we both want and need. As much as we want this new functionality, we need it deployed without risking our data security and privacy. Other messengers-including, of course, WhatsApp’s stablemate Facebook Messenger, have nailed multiple device access, but without the security we trust WhatsApp to provide. Much in the same way as you can tell when a contact has new device or WhatsApp install.Īnd, ultimately, that’s the most critical thing here. If, for example, any of the linked devices of one of your contacts changes or if they link a new device, then you will be notified. That is likely a step too far, without full control over the cloud and device software, as is the case with Apple’s iMessage and iCloud syncing.įrom what we know so far, it’s clear that WhatsApp’s considerable time spent in perfecting its approach to multiple device linking has encryption at its heart.

This could provide the basis for a secure restore or even a secure live sync capability-although an ongoing sync would require that backup to be decrypted and accessed while at rest in the cloud, without compromising security. This backup update will essentially offload a secure, central repository of your message history and media to an offline cloud service.