WhatsApp upgrades two-step verification from six-digit PINs to alphanumeric passwords

WhatsApp announced on August 25, 2026 that two-step verification, unchanged since its February 2017 launch, now accepts longer alphanumeric passwords with special characters instead of the six-digit numeric PIN. The PIN had remained vulnerable to guessing attacks for nearly a decade. The feature stays optional, set via Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification.