WhatsApp Steps Up Security, Rolls Out Two-Step Verification
WhatsApp has enhanced its security for it’s over 1.2billion users by rolling out a two-step verification process for all devices.
The company began testing the feature last November, and it will now available to users across iPhone, Android and Windows.
With this feature, those who use WhatsApp on Android, iPhone, and Windows platforms will be able to verify their number when they install the app on a new device more securely.
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Users will have to provide a six-digit passcode (created by them using this feature) when registering your phone number with WhatsApp again – or any attempt to verify their phone number through the app.
“When you have the feature enabled, any attempt to verify your phone number on WhatsApp must be accompanied by the six-digit passcode that you choose,” WhatsApp said in a statement.
In order to enable the optional WhatsApp security feature, users have to open WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable, the Fecbook-owned company said.
Post enabling this feature, users will need to enter their chosen WhatsApp passcode, and optionally provide an email address so that they can recover their account even if they forget the passcode.
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“After these 7 days, your number will be permitted to reverify on WhatsApp without your passcode, but you will lose all pending messages upon reverifying – they will be deleted. If your number is reverified on WhatsApp after 30 days of last using WhatsApp, and without your passcode, your account will be deleted and a new one will be created upon successfully reverifying,” the company added.
This means that, if you have WhatsApp two-step verification enabled, your phone number will not be permitted to reverify on the app within seven days of last using WhatsApp without your passcode.
Furthermore, if you forget your own passcode, and did not provide an email to disable WhatsApp two-step verification, even you will not be permitted to reverify on the app within seven days of last using it, the company says.
