WhatsApp beta update seeks to remind everyone why encryption is so vital

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WhatsApp message thread on iPhone X
WhatsApp message thread on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp has a new beta version available to those who are part of the iOS TestFlight program.
  • The new beta adds a tweaked version of existing encryption messaging as well as a new link to an explainer.

WhatsApp has rolled out a new beta to iOS users that includes a tweaked privacy and encryption message while also linking out to more information for those who want to learn about what it means for them.

The latest WhatsApp beta tweaks something that was already added in a previous one — a new line of text that reminds users their chats are encrypted — and adds a link to a page that further explains what the use of encryption actually offers users and what it protects.

WABetaInfo has all the details:

After updating to the new WhatsApp beta for iOS 22.11.0.73 update, a new footer for end-to-end encryption shows up at the bottom of your status updates, call history, chats list, and devices list. The page that shows up when tapping the footer informs people what is secured by end-to-end encryption: text and voice messages, audio and video calls, photos, videos, and documents, location sharing, and status updates.

Whastsapp Beta Encryption Message Screenshot

Whastsapp Beta Encryption Message Screenshot (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

Notably, the page that is now linked to isn't actually a new one and is instead an existing explainer that can be found within the settings portion of the app.

Encryption is an important part of WhatsApp and it's one of the reasons that it is one of the best iPhone messaging apps around. It isn't the only offering that features encryption, of course, but its large user base and cross-platform support makes it a great solution for people that need to be able to communicate with people on other platforms, including Android and Windows-based PCs.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.