Amidst the growing problems of digital fraud and account hacking, WhatsApp has begun preparations to tighten the privacy of its millions of users. Incidents of WhatsApp account takeovers often occur due to simple PINs or normal passwords, putting people’s personal data and chats at risk. To address this problem, WhatsApp has made a major change to two-spot verification, making it no longer easy for hackers to break into your account. Let’s learn about this new safety feature and three major updates that will make your chatting experience even safer.
To protect your account from hacking, WhatsApp is now removing the 6-digit PIN and allowing you to set a strong alphanumeric password (letters and numbers).
The company announced this change through a blog post. Along with this new password feature, WhatsApp has released two more updates, including expanded passkey support and more information about unknown calls for Android users.
Until now, WhatsApp only used a 6-digit PIN for two-step verification. The new system will allow users to create a longer password by combining letters and numbers. The company says that a 6-digit PIN could easily be cracked or guessed, while a longer password will make it more difficult for hackers to break into their account.
To set up this feature, users will need to go to WhatsApp Settings and select the Account option. This new option will appear under Two-step verification.
The new password must be at least 8 characters long, with at least one letter and one number required.
The important thing is that this new password will not replace the one-time verification code (OTP) that you receive via SMS. OTP will continue to be sent for phone number verification, while the password will serve as an additional layer of security.
This feature is being rolled out gradually for Android and iOS users. If this option isn’t visible on your phone yet, it will be available soon through an update.
According to WhatsApp, more than 1 billion people are using passwords to keep their accounts secure. Additionally, the company will display additional information on calls from unknown numbers for Android users. You’ll now know on the call screen itself whether the caller is from another country or is part of a WhatsApp group with you.