WhatsApp is working on something that could finally free iPhone users from Apple’s stingy iCloud storage limits. According to WABetaInfo, code found in the latest iOS beta (version 26.28.10.16) reveals WhatsApp is building its own first-party cloud backup service, giving users a real alternative to iCloud for the first time.
Right now, WhatsApp on iPhone only backs up through iCloud, and Apple’s free tier caps out at just 5GB shared across your entire Apple ecosystem: photos, device backups, messages, everything. For anyone with years of chat history, photos, and videos in WhatsApp, that space fills up fast. This new option would let people offload backups to WhatsApp’s own servers instead, keeping their iCloud storage free for other things.
The tiers spotted in the beta code include 2GB free, 50GB for around $0.99 a month, and a 1TB option still in development. Pricing could shift before an official launch, but it gives a sense of where WhatsApp is headed.
Security-wise, this is arguably the bigger story. Backups stored on WhatsApp’s own cloud will be end-to-end encrypted by default, with no option to turn it off, and users will be nudged toward securing things with a passkey, a password, or a 64-digit encryption key. That’s a step up from iCloud backups, where encryption has to be manually enabled through WhatsApp’s own settings.
Interestingly, this isn’t iOS-exclusive. Android users are reportedly getting a similar option too, aimed at reducing dependence on Google Drive.
For now, the feature is buried in beta code and isn’t live for testers yet, so there’s no release date to point to.
M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Phoonomo, covering mobile technology with a primary focus on Apple and the broader smartphone industry, alongside emerging developments in AI. He follows product launches, spec leaks, and industry trends closely to keep readers informed with timely updates.
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