WhatsApp just got killer upgrades — here's everything that's new

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WhatsApp just got killer upgrades — here'south everything that'due south new

(Epitome credit: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)

WhatsApp is getting a ton of tweaks to make it more secure and easier to use, going by the changes spotted in the beta version of the messaging app by WABetaInfo.

The start change is a rather pocket-size 1 that but allows yous to add contacts to your WhatsApp list by scanning a QR code, potentially avoiding the pain of contacts not being properly pulled in from your telephone's contacts list. The second update is more meaning equally it adds end-to-finish encryption to WhatsApp conversation backups in Apple's iCloud.

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The QR code characteristic generates a code for i WhatsApp user, which can and then exist scanned using a smartphone camera past some other user past tapping a 'scan code' option in the main app. It's a minor thing, but it could make adding contacts to WhatsApp even easier.

(Epitome credit: WABetaInfo)

WhatsApp currently uses end-to-terminate encryption by default in its messaging, and then yous'd be forgiven for thinking that all deportment performed by the Facebook-endemic messaging service have that level of security. Only they don't.

Automatic chat backups to a supported deject storage service of your choice is an excellent feature, equally it allows you to easily swap phones while retaining your WhatsApp chats. But when this data is sent from WhatsApp to Apple's iCloud services, which is baked into modern iPhones, the backup doesn't get end-to-end encryption.

Theoretically, if someone was able to intercept the information flowing from WhatsApp on your iPhone to iCloud, they wouldn't accept to deal with the same security as they would if they tried to hack into WhatsApp chats directly. As such, every time your WhatsApp chats take been automatically updating on your iPhone, your chats could be exposed to so-called "homo-in-the-middle" cyber attacks.

But with the beta update, terminate-to-stop encryption will be practical to iCloud chat backups, making it very hard to intercept and decrypt the data flowing between the WhatsApp app and iCloud servers. All you lot have to exercise now is wait for WhatsApp to automatically whorl out the update when it'due south ready for a full public release; we don't know exactly when that will be, but WhatsApp usually pushes out updates quite quickly after they enter the beta period.

Roland Moore-Colyer is U.K. Editor at Tom's Guide with a focus on news, features and stance articles. He often writes nigh gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he'southward also got an interest in cars. When non at his desk-bound Roland can be found wandering around London, frequently with a look of curiosity on his confront.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/whatsapp-just-got-a-killer-upgrade-heres-everything-thats-new

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