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WhatsApp Adds Multiple Passkeys for Phishing-Resistant Sign-Ins Across iOS and Android
August 25, 2026 · The Hacker News · Severity: LOW
Meta announced new WhatsApp security features, including support for multiple passkeys for a single account on both iOS and Android devices to enhance sign-in security. The update also introduces stronger, phishing-resistant two-step verification options to reduce the risk of account takeover attacks. These measures aim to provide users with more robust protection against unauthorized access.
Meta on Tuesday announced a set of WhatsApp account security features, including support for multiple passkeys to a single account to help users with both iOS and Android devices sign into their accounts using the phishing-resistant method. The tech giant said more than 1 billion people use a passkey to log into WhatsApp. Support for passkeys was first introduced in Android in October 2023, before expanding to iOS in early 2024. Meta also followed it up by integrating passkeys into Facebook logins in June 2025. Users can manage their passkeys by navigating to Settings > Account > Passkeys. Along with the update, WhatsApp said it's adding a full password option as part of two-step verification, and users on Android will see more context on calls from people who aren't in their contacts. "Two-step verification is an extra protection layer that helps prevent someone from taking over your account, even if they get hold of your one-time passcode," WhatsApp said in a blog post shared with The Hacker News. "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 also noted that the extra context will include details like where the call is originating from, whether the person calling is already on their contact list, and if both parties are part of any common groups. "Scammers rely on urgency now you can take a beat with some more info before answering," the messaging app said. Found this article interesting? Follow us on Google News , Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.
Key Takeaways
- Multiple passkeys per account reduce reliance on SMS-based authentication, mitigating SIM swapping attacks.
- Over 1 billion WhatsApp users now have phishing-resistant login, raising industry security baseline.
- Passkey integration across Meta platforms creates unified credential management for users.