whatsappWhatsApp is in the process of rolling out a two-step verification feature for the messaging platform from today. The security option has been in testing for several months, but is finally going live for all users of the app.

With the optional feature, WhatsApp users will be able to securely verify their number with a custom-generated six-digit passcode whenever they install the app on a new device. To activate the security feature, users should open the app and tap through to Settings -> Account -> Two-step verification -> Enable.

Upon enabling the feature, users are asked if they want to enter their email address. This is used by WhatsApp to send a link via email to disable two-step verification in case the six-digit passcode is forgotten, and also to help safeguard the account.

To help users remember their passcode, WhatsApp will periodically ask them for it. There is no option to disable this without disabling the two-step verification feature.

WhatsApp is available as a free download on the App Store for iPhone. [Direct Link]

Tag: WhatsApp

Top Rated Comments

Frederik on MacRumors Avatar
Frederik on MacRumors
112 months ago
Collecting email addresses to better match people to existing data?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RamRS Avatar
RamRS
112 months ago
Email is optional..
I see you insist on making this point to everyone individually. Yes, email is optional, but it is the easier, more stable, less memory-dependent/human error-prone option. If they seriously values privacy, they would have gone with an authenticator application, and so would Facebook. Why force users to choose between trust-your-memory-to-never-fail-you vs give me your email address?

Seriously, f*** WhatsApp and f*** Facebook.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
C DM
112 months ago
For alot of jobs your Facebook profile is reviewed prior to getting an interview or after the 1st interview.
How does that work if/when you practically don't have anything on it that's public?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarpalMac Avatar
CarpalMac
112 months ago
Telegram deployed this on the 8th April, 2015.

https://telegram.org/blog/sessions-and-2-step-verification


Perhaps the Whatsapp are struggling for cash to pay their developers...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m.x Avatar
m.x
112 months ago
Collecting email addresses to better match people to existing data?
Seems very likely. If a Facebook user opted out of sharing data with WhatApp, but uses the same mail address for 2FA, it's now possible to identify him on WhatsApp. Heck, they could even try to match the telephone numbers of the people most talked to on WhatsApp with the profiles most talked to on Facebook to create even larger databases about the people who never opted in to data sharing. It's sad to see that privacy is being attacked more and more. And in a not too distant future you'll have to have a good Facebook profile to be allowed to travel, just like that Black Mirror episode and everybody will be wondering how it all came to this...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joy.757 Avatar
joy.757
112 months ago
Cool, but I'd have liked a Google authenticator like service, rather than remembering another passcode.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
Read Full Article • 72 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
Read Full Article • 59 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Read Full Article • 83 comments
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
Read Full Article • 114 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Read Full Article • 62 comments
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...
Read Full Article • 89 comments