WhatsApp has started rolling out several new account security features, including support for multiple passkeys and stronger two-step verification.
While the instant messaging service already allowed users to add passkeys for secure logins via fingerprint, Face ID, or screen lock code, it now lets them create separate ones for each platform.
“More than a billion people have already set one up, and you can now add more than one passkey to your account if you use both Android and iOS devices. To get started, go to Settings > Account > Passkeys,” it said.
WhatsApp has also updated its two-step verification security feature to allow alphanumeric passwords instead of six-digit PINs.
“Until now it was a six-digit PIN, we’ve now upgraded it to a full password: longer, alphanumeric, and even with special ch@racters to make it harder to guess. If you’ve been using ‘123456,’ this is your sign to upgrade,” WhatsApp added.
The company has also added more information to call screens, giving users more context about contacts not in their address book before answering, as an additional layer of protection against scam attempts.
“On Android, you’ll now see more information about a non-contact caller, like whether the number is from a different country and if you have any groups in common,” it said. “Scammers rely on urgency – now you can take a beat with some more info before answering.”
Adding call screen context is part of a broader effort to protect WhatsApp users from scammers, as shown by multiple new security features introduced since the start of the year to help catch attacks and fraud attempts before users engage.
In January, WhatsApp began rolling out “Strict Account Settings,” a new Apple Lockdown-style feature designed to protect high-risk individuals like journalists and public figures from various sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks.
Two months later, in March, Meta also announced that WhatsApp will warn users when a device-linking request may be fraudulent, a common tactic used to hijack accounts by tricking users into sharing a linking code or scanning a malicious QR code.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp also introduced an optional “Scam Alert” feature as part of a limited beta rollout, which uses a local machine learning model to warn users when they’re being targeted by scammers.
According to WhatsApp, more than 3 billion people in over 180 countries use its messaging service to communicate with family and friends.
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