When you buy a new phone and restore your WhatsApp account, the app verifies by sending you a six-digit code through SMS. However, the company’s working on another method to verify your account: flash calls.
According to a report by reliable WABetaInfo, the chat app is testing this ability on Android. Here’s how it’ll work: you can opt-in to receive a call for verification instead of an SMS code. WhatsApp will call you for a brief moment and end the call; you don’t need to pick it up.
Even when this feature is rolled out, it’ll be limited to Android, as iOS doesn’t allow apps to read call history. WABetaInfo said that while the app will access your call log to compare the last entry, it won’t use the data for anything else.
Notably, Instagram is testing a feature to get verification codes over WhatsApp instead of SMS.
This new development comes after an action-packed week for WhatsApp. The company confirmed that it’s testing the ability to use one account over multiple devices, and will let you link four devices under that feature. That means you’ll soon be able to use the chat app on your iPad.
Plus, WhatsApp rolled out a toggle to speed up playback of voice messages. Check out our guide on the feature here.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.