WhatsApp Security Gets Three New Features for Safer Accounts

WhatsApp security is getting three new features aimed at making account takeovers harder and giving users more information before they answer unfamiliar calls. Meta announced the changes on August 25, including a stronger two-step verification password, extra caller context on Android, and support for multiple passkeys.

The update is focused on account protection rather than changes to message encryption. Meta says WhatsApp already uses end-to-end encryption by default and is adding these controls to give people more ways to keep their accounts under their control.

Two-Step Verification Gets a Stronger Password

WhatsApp's two-step verification has used a six-digit PIN as an additional layer of account protection. Meta is upgrading that protection to a longer alphanumeric password that can also include special characters, making it harder to guess.

The change matters if someone obtains a WhatsApp one-time registration code but still needs to get past the account's second layer of protection. Meta says the stronger password is intended to make account takeover attempts more difficult.

Unknown Callers Will Show More Context on Android

WhatsApp is also adding information to calls from people who are not saved in a user's contacts. On Android, the caller information can show whether the number is from another country and whether the caller and recipient have groups in common.

The extra context is designed to give users another signal before answering an unfamiliar call. Meta specifically frames the change around scams that use urgency to pressure people into responding quickly.

Saganote has previously covered WhatsApp's username system, another privacy-focused change that can reduce the need to share a phone number when connecting with new people.

WhatsApp Now Supports Multiple Passkeys

WhatsApp is also expanding passkey support so an account can have more than one passkey. That is useful for people who regularly switch between Android and iOS devices and want to use the authentication method available on each device.

Passkeys let users verify their identity with a fingerprint, Face ID, or the device's screen-lock code instead of entering a WhatsApp code or PIN. Meta says more than one billion people have already set up a WhatsApp passkey.

Users can manage the feature from WhatsApp's Settings by going to Account and then Passkeys. Meta says the ability to add multiple passkeys is part of this latest security update.

These changes build on WhatsApp's broader push toward account and privacy protections. Saganote has also covered WhatsApp's encrypted cloud backup work for iPhone, which adds another layer to the way users can protect their WhatsApp data.

Meta says it will keep adding tools designed to help people stay in control of their WhatsApp accounts. The three updates give users stronger account credentials, more context around potentially suspicious calls, and a more flexible way to use passkeys across devices.