WhatsApp has rolled out three major security features designed to mitigate account takeovers, streamline biometric authentication across devices, and protect users against telephone scams. The update expands passkey functionality, upgrades two-step verification from a basic PIN to a full password system and provides immediate context for incoming calls from unsaved contacts on Android.
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Expanding beyond its original single-passkey limitation, WhatsApp now allows users to create separate passkeys for each platform and device they use. Account holders can authenticate logins across multiple devices using native biometric fingerprints, Face ID, or screen lock codes instead of relying on SMS verification. Simultaneously, the platform has strengthened its two-step verification framework by upgrading the traditional six-digit PIN to a full password. This additional security layer helps protect accounts from being hijacked or targeted by SIM-swapping attacks, even if a bad actor obtains a user’s one-time passcode.
To combat telephone scams, WhatsApp is also introducing caller context for unrecognized numbers on Android devices. When an unsaved number calls, the app will display additional background details, including the caller’s country of origin and any mutual WhatsApp groups shared with the recipient. By surfacing this information before a call is answered, WhatsApp aims to help users recognize urgency tactics employed by scammers and make informed decisions about whether to pick up.
