WhatsApp enables two-factor authentication option for all users

WhatsApp enables two-step authentication for all users. It is an opt-in that users must enable via the settings. Users only need to enter the code when they verify their number, for example when they start using a new phone.

WhatsApp periodically asks for the code, although the service does not say how much time this happens. The function relies on setting a self-selected six-digit code in the settings. WhatsApp then asks for the code if someone tries to create an account or log in with that user’s phone number, WhatsApp says. The feature will gradually become available to all 1.2 billion users in the near future.

To reset the passcode, users must provide an email address; the service can send the reset code here. If the user has forgotten the code and has not entered an email address, he will not be able to log in to WhatsApp for a week. After that, that is possible, but the service creates a new account, without access to backups, for example. The feature has been in test versions of the chat app since last year.