--- title: "WhatsApp Ditches the Six-Digit PIN: Meta Rolls Out Long Passwords, Passkeys, and Spam Call Protection" description: "Meta has strengthened WhatsApp's protection: the six-digit PIN has been replaced with long passwords and local passkeys, while Android now shows hints about unknown callers to combat phishing and spam." date: 2026-08-26T13:38:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/whatsapp-new-security-measures-passkeys-long-passwords tags: [whatsapp, meta, security, passkeys, two-factor-authentication, phishing-protection] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # WhatsApp Ditches the Six-Digit PIN: Meta Rolls Out Long Passwords, Passkeys, and Spam Call Protection ![Woman holding a large WhatsApp logo in front of her face, illustrating Meta's move away from six-digit PINs to long passwords, passkeys, and spam-call protection](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/26/whatsapp-novye-mery-bezopasnosti-passkeys-dlinnye-paroli/whatsapp-novye-mery-bezopasnosti-passkeys-dlinnye-paroli-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - WhatsApp is replacing the six-digit PIN in two-step verification with a long alphanumeric password that includes special characters. - Users can add multiple local passkeys (Face ID, fingerprint, screen code) to a single account; according to Meta, more than a billion people already use them. - Android now shows hints about incoming calls from numbers outside your contacts to help identify spammers. - The updates are being introduced amid a rise in cyberattacks and public criticism of WhatsApp's security by Musk and Durov against the backdrop of a lawsuit against Meta. Meta has announced the launch of a new package of security features for the WhatsApp messenger. The updates are designed to protect accounts from sophisticated phishing attacks, profile hijacking attempts, and a wave of spam calls. According to the developers, the measures are being introduced amid a rise in cyberattacks, prompting the company to strengthen authentication and add tools for detecting suspicious activity. ### From a Six-Digit PIN to a Full-Fledged Password Previously, WhatsApp's two-step verification relied on a six-digit numeric PIN code, which served as an additional layer of protection against account takeover. Now, users can set a longer alphanumeric password that includes special characters. This format significantly complicates unauthorized access, even if attackers manage to intercept a one-time SMS code, since a short numeric PIN is no longer the only barrier. ### Passkeys: Local Protection and a Billion Users Users have also been given the ability to add multiple passkeys to a single account. This is convenient for those who use both iOS- and Android-based devices simultaneously. The Passkeys technology allows users to sign in using Face ID, a fingerprint scanner, or their screen unlock code. Because the data is stored locally on the device, this authentication method is, according to Meta, virtually fully protected against remote phishing attacks. According to the company, more than a billion people already use this method within the app. ### Spam Call Protection on Android For Android users, a feature has been added that informs them about incoming calls from numbers not in their contacts. During the call, information about the caller is displayed on the screen, helping the user quickly get oriented and identify potential spammers or fraudsters before they manage to start a conversation. ### Contradictory Data On the one hand, Meta and specialized publications confirm the fact of introducing enhanced two-factor authentication and new protection tools. On the other hand, amid these announcements, public criticism has been voiced: reportedly, Elon Musk and Pavel Durov criticized WhatsApp's security against the backdrop of a lawsuit against Meta. Thus, the strengthening of security measures is perceived by part of the market as a response to growing pressure and disputes over the platform's reliability, rather than as an isolated product update. Disagreements over the messenger's overall security remain, although the new authentication features themselves have been confirmed. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [WhatsApp Replaced the Numeric PIN Code with a Full-Fledged Password: What Are the Advantages](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/whatsapp-zaminiv-tsifroviy-pin-kod-povnotsinniy-1787737867.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Π·Π°ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρƒ ΡˆΠ΅ΡΡ‚ΠΈΠ·Π½Π°Ρ‡Π½ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ PIN Π½Π° ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π½Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ ΠΏΠ°Ρ€ΠΎΠ»ΡŒ Π² Π΄Π²ΡƒΡ…ΡˆΠ°Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΉ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π΅Ρ€ΠΊΠ΅. - [WhatsApp Introduces a Chat Lock Feature to Boost the Security of Your Personal Messages](https://overclockers.ru/blog/New_Intel_Raptor_ES/show/93483/whatsapp-predstavlyaet-funkciju-blokirovki-chata-dlya-povysheniya-bezopasnosti-vashih-lichnyh-soobschenij) - Использован Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ΅ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠ²Ρ‹Ρ… Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Ρ…: фиксируСт ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΡ‡Π½ΡƒΡŽ ΠΊΡ€ΠΈΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΡƒ бСзопасности ΠΈ контСкст судСбного иска ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ² Meta. - [Musk and Durov Criticize WhatsApp's Security Against the Backdrop of a Lawsuit Against Meta*](https://overclockers.ru/blog/kefirNET/show/248638/Mask-i-Durov-raskritikovali-bezopasnost-WhatsApp-na-fone-sudebnogo-iska-protiv-Meta) - Использован Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ΅ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠ²Ρ‹Ρ… Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Ρ…: фиксируСт ΠΏΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΡ‡Π½ΡƒΡŽ ΠΊΡ€ΠΈΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΡƒ бСзопасности ΠΈ контСкст судСбного иска ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ² Meta. - [GSMArena: Enhanced Two-Factor Authentication to Arrive in WhatsApp](https://news.rambler.ru/tech/56966903-gsmarena-v-whatsapp-poyavitsya-usilennaya-dvuhfaktornaya-autentifikatsiya/) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ‚Ρ€Π΅Π½Π΄ усилСния Π΄Π²ΡƒΡ…Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Π½ΠΎΠΉ Π°ΡƒΡ‚Π΅Π½Ρ‚ΠΈΡ„ΠΈΠΊΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ Π² WhatsApp. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What changed in WhatsApp's two-step verification? **A:** Instead of a six-digit numeric PIN code, users can now set a longer alphanumeric password with special characters, which makes account takeover harder even if the SMS code is intercepted. ### Q: What are passkeys and how do they protect an account? **A:** Passkeys are a way to sign in using Face ID, a fingerprint, or your screen unlock code. The data is stored locally on the device, so this method is virtually immune to remote phishing attacks. You can add multiple passkeys to a single account for different platforms. ### Q: What has been added for Android users? **A:** A feature has been added that informs you about incoming calls from numbers not in your contacts: during the call, information about the caller is shown on the screen, which helps identify spammers and fraudsters. ### Q: How many users are already using passkeys? **A:** According to Meta, more than a billion people already use this method within the app.