New features in WhatsApp: Passkey backup protection and chat customization on macOS

WhatsApp continues to improve its messenger, focusing on security and personalization. This week, the company announced two major updates: for iOS and Android — convenient backup protection using passkeys, and for macOS — the ability to customize the chat interface with 38 colors. These innovations make users’ lives easier while maintaining a high level of privacy.

Backup Protection with Passkeys: Goodbye to Long Keys

Starting October 30, 2025, WhatsApp began a global rollout of a feature that allows chat backups to be encrypted with passkeys — without the need to remember 64-digit keys or passwords. Instead, access to backups will use the device’s biometrics: Face ID on iPhone, Touch ID on Android, or even the screen lock code.

This option expands the end-to-end encryption system for backups introduced in 2021. Previously, restoring chats required manually generating and storing a cryptographic key, which was inconvenient and risky. Now the private key remains on the device, and authentication takes place through built-in hardware. This makes the process simpler and more secure: even if a backup is stored in iCloud or Google Drive, an attacker without the device’s biometrics cannot decrypt it.

Activation is available in “Settings” > “Chats” > “Chat Backup” > “End-to-End Encrypted Backup.” The feature is being rolled out gradually and will reach all users in the coming weeks. According to WhatsApp, passkeys are a step toward a passwordless world, where security depends on the device rather than human memory. This continues Meta’s trend: since 2023, passkeys have already been used for account login.

Chat Customization on macOS: 38 Colors for the Desktop

Alongside mobile updates, WhatsApp for macOS (version 2.2429.10 and later) has received the long-awaited interface personalization feature. Users can now choose chat colors from a palette of 38 shades, including 22 ready-made themed presets. This unifies the experience with iOS and Android, where customization appeared earlier.

The option is located in “Settings” > “Chats.” Here you can apply a global theme to all conversations or customize individual ones — for example, blue for work, green for family. Presets combine message colors, background images, and wallpapers; background brightness can be adjusted, and personal photos can be added for a unique touch. Themes do not sync across devices: on a Mac, you can set a dark style, and on an iPhone — a light one, which is convenient for different use cases.

The update is especially valuable for those who communicate extensively on a computer: harmonious colors reduce eye strain and help visually distinguish chats. The rollout is gradual for both stable and beta versions; full coverage is expected by the end of November 2025. WABetaInfo notes that this makes the desktop version of WhatsApp a full-fledged competitor to its mobile counterpart.

In Brief…

WhatsApp enhances both security and convenience: starting October 30, the rollout of passkey backup protection for iOS and Android enables encryption via Face ID or Touch ID without manual keys. On macOS, users can customize chats with 38 colors and 22 themes in “Settings” > “Chats,” without cross-device synchronization. The updates simplify chat restoration and personalize the interface; expect them to arrive in the coming weeks.