Technology giants such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook among others have always advocated enabling two-step verification to add more security. If you still don’t use two-step verification, we recommend enabling the security feature following these simple steps for many popular services. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is now rolling out support for two-step verification to all users.
(Also see: How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication For Gmail, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Outlook, Yahoo Accounts)
The new two-step verification is optional, but ideally you should secure your WhatsApp account. The company assures that once two-step verification enabled, any attempt to verify phone number on WhatsApp will require a six-digit passcode that is created by the user.
Although the feature was earlier only available to WhatsApp Beta users, today it is now rolling out for all users. To enable WhatsApp’s two-factor authentication, you need to follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp (duh!)
- Go to Settings
- Go to Account
- Look for Two-step verification
- 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. For more tutorials, visit our How to section.