Until now the only way to authenticate a WhatsApp account was to enter a phone number, but that’s all changing now following the news that the instant messaging service now also supports email address verification.
The move means that users can now add an email address to their account but it doesn’t mean that it is replacing the previous SMS-based option.
Creating a new WhatsApp account still requires that users hand over their phone number, but the new email-based option is here should people be unable to receive an SMS when signing in, for example.
The new feature was first spotted by WABetaInfo and is rolling out to users now. The report notes that the changelog for the new version of WhatsApp in the App Store today doesn’t mention it, the iPhone app does indeed now support email-based authentication.
However, even though it’s not mentioned in the official changelog on the App Store, we can also confirm that WhatsApp is releasing the ability to associate your email address with your WhatsApp account. Just open WhatsApp Settings > Account to experiment with this feature today. This is an alternative login method in case users are temporarily unable to get the 6-digit code via SMS, but they must still use a phone number to create an account, and logging in with a phone number still remains an option.
The report goes on to add that those who don’t yet have the new feature might have to hang fire for a few weeks — WhatsApp often rolls these kinds of changes out in stages, meaning your account might not have been enabled just yet.
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