Facebook-owned WhatsApp is now rolling support for two-step verification out to all users. The new two-step verification is optional, but ideally, you should secure your WhatsApp account. The company assures that once a two-step verification is enabled, any attempt to verify phone number on WhatsApp will require a six-digit passcode that is created by the user.
Although the new feature was earlier only available to WhatsApp Beta users, it is now rolling out for all users. To enable WhatsApp’s two-factor authentication, you need to follow these steps:
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Total Time: 3 minutes
Check that you’re running the latest version of the app
You can do this by going to the Google Play Store or Apple App store and see if there are any updates pending.
Open Whatsapp
You can do this by going to your apps drawer and look for the WhatsApp icon, then tap.
Go to Settings
Having WhatsApp launched, You can do this by tapping the three-dot in the top right-hand corner. This opens a menu from which you need to select Settings.
Go to Account
You can do this by selecting Account from the list shown.
Look for Two-step verification
After selecting Account, a new list is shown. You can do this by selecting Two-step verification from the list.
Tap on Enable
On the next screen, enter six-digit passcode.
Next, re-enter six-digit passcode.
Optionally, add your email address on the next screen.
In the last step – optional, as mentioned – WhatsApp asks for an email address to link with your account. This email address will let WhatsApp to send a link via email to disable two-step verification in case user forgets the six-digit passcode. To help you remember your passcode, WhatsApp will periodically ask you to enter your passcode. There is no option to disable this without disabling the two-step verification feature.
Upon enabling this feature, you can also optionally enter your email address. This email address will allow WhatsApp to send you a link via email to disable two-step verification in case you ever forget your six-digit passcode, and also to help safeguard your account.
In case you user forget the six-digit passcode, WhatsApp won’t permit re-verifying the account within seven days of last using WhatsApp.
“After these seven days, your number will be permitted to re-verify on WhatsApp without your passcode, but you will lose all pending messages upon re-verifying – they will be deleted. If your number is re-verified 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 re-verifying,” the WhatsApp team explains.
Have you set up two-step verification on your WhatsApp account? Let us know via the comments.
