WhatsApp tightens account security with stronger two-step verification and more

WhatsApp announced Tuesday that it’s launching new security features and updates to help users keep their accounts secure, including stronger two-step verification and the ability to add more than one passkey to your account. The Meta-owned app is also adding context to calls from unknown numbers.

The updates come as WhatsApp and other messaging apps, such as Signal and Telegram, look to make account security easier and more accessible for everyday users, especially as phishing and hacking attempts have become more sophisticated over the years.

Until now, WhatsApp’s two-step verification has used a six-digit PIN as an extra layer of protection to prevent someone from taking over an account even if they’re able to obtain the user’s one-time passcode. Now, users can choose a longer, alphanumeric password with special characters to make the PIN harder to guess.

As for passkeys, users can now add more than one passkey to their account, which WhatsApps says will be useful if a person uses both iOS and Android.

Passkeys, which WhatsApp launched support for in 2024, are far stronger than passwords and allow users to log in to their accounts using Face ID or their fingerprint. Passkeys remove the need to rely on username and password combinations, which are ordinarily susceptible to phishing attacks. Passkey logins make it harder for bad actors to remotely access your accounts, as an attacker would need physical access to a person’s device that stores the user’s part of the passkey.

Additionally, Android users will now see more information when they’re getting a call from someone who isn’t in their contacts, like whether the number is from a different country and if they have any groups in common with the caller.

The latest features join the growing list of updates WhatsApp has rolled out in recent months. The company launched usernames in late June to allow people to share their profiles without disclosing their phone number. In late May, Meta launched a subscription plan for the messaging app that unlocks extra features, like profile customization, super reactions, story insights, and more.

The WhatsApp Plus plan launched alongside similar “Plus” offerings for Instagram and Facebook.