WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. When you get a new phone, one of the first things you’ll need to do is set up WhatsApp again so you can continue using it to message your contacts.
Part of the WhatsApp setup process on a new device involves verifying your phone number. WhatsApp sends a 6-digit verification code as an SMS to your phone number, which you need to enter in the app to verify ownership of your number. This completes the activation process and links your WhatsApp account to your new phone.
If you no longer have access to your old phone number or the SMS verification code, how can you still get your WhatsApp account working on your new device? There are a few methods you can try to obtain the verification code again and complete the activation process.
Method 1: Request SMS verification code again
The easiest way is to simply request WhatsApp to resend the SMS verification code. Here’s how:
- Install and open the WhatsApp app on your new phone.
- Agree to the Terms of Service and tap ‘Agree and Continue’ or ‘Accept and Continue’.
- On the ‘Enter your phone number’ screen, enter your full phone number in international format, including the country code.
- Tap ‘Next’. WhatsApp will try to automatically detect your country based on your phone number.
- You’ll get a ‘Waiting for SMS’ message. Tap ‘Didn’t receive SMS?’ below it.
- WhatsApp will display a message saying ‘We will resend the SMS message to verify your phone number’. Tap ‘OK’.
- This will resend the 6-digit verification code as an SMS to your phone number.
- Once received, input the code in WhatsApp and tap ‘Next’.
- On the ‘Name’ screen, enter your name and tap ‘Next’. Your WhatsApp account is now verified and set up on your new phone.
This process works if you still have access to the phone number, even if it’s on a different device. As long as you can receive the SMS, you can get the verification code.
However, there are a couple of caveats:
– There is a limit to how many times WhatsApp will resend the SMS before blocking further attempts. This is to prevent abuse.
– If you no longer have access to your old number, such as if you got a new SIM card, this method will not work.
Method 2: Get verification code via phone call
If you can’t get the SMS verification for some reason, WhatsApp provides the option to get the 6-digit code through an automated phone call. Here’s how to do it:
- Start the WhatsApp activation process on your new phone as explained above.
- When you reach the ‘Waiting for SMS’ screen, tap ‘Call me’ instead.
- A popup will show your full phone number and ask if it is correct. Tap ‘OK’ to confirm.
- WhatsApp will now place a phone call to your number.
- Answer the call and you will hear an automated voice speaking out the 6-digit verification code.
- Input this code in WhatsApp on your new phone and complete the activation process.
This method is useful if you have trouble receiving SMS, or don’t have SMS capability on your phone number. As long as you can receive phone calls, you can get the verification code through a voice call instead.
However, there are limits on how many times you can request the voice call before WhatsApp blocks further attempts.
Method 3: Enter backup codes
WhatsApp allows you to manually generate and save up to 10 backup verification codes when you first set up 2-step verification on your account. These codes can be used later to verify your number if you lose access to your phone and can’t complete regular SMS or call verification.
To use your backup codes:
- Install and open WhatsApp on your new phone.
- Go through the activation process until you reach the ‘Verify your number’ screen.
- Below the ‘Waiting for SMS’ message, tap ‘Use backup code’.
- Enter one of your remaining unused backup codes and tap ‘Next’.
- WhatsApp will verify your number using the backup code instead of SMS/call.
- Complete the rest of the activation process.
However, there are a couple of requirements for this method:
– You must have previously enabled 2-step verification on your WhatsApp account and saved your backup codes.
– You must not have already used up all 10 backup codes previously.
If you did not save backup codes before losing access to your old phone, this method will not work.
Method 4: Register your number again
If all else fails, the nuclear option is to simply register your phone number again on WhatsApp. Here’s how it works:
- Uninstall WhatsApp and delete your account from your new phone.
- Wait for about a week to allow WhatsApp to fully delete your account information.
- Install WhatsApp again and enter your number during activation.
- You will get a ‘Waiting for SMS’ message as WhatsApp sends a new verification code.
- Enter the new SMS or call verification code to register your number again.
- You can now set up your WhatsApp account on the new phone as if it’s your first time.
The key here is that after uninstalling WhatsApp and waiting long enough, WhatsApp essentially ‘forgets’ your number. So when you try to activate again, it will send a new SMS that works, allowing you to register from scratch.
The downsides are that this deletes your entire WhatsApp chat history and media from your new phone. You also appear as a new user to all your contacts, unless you use a backup to restore conversations.
But when all else fails, this is the definitive way to forcibly get your number verified and working again on WhatsApp, even without access to your old phone.
Method 5: Contact WhatsApp support
If none of the self-service methods work, the last resort is to directly contact WhatsApp support for help.
You can contact WhatsApp by:
– Going to WhatsApp > Settings > Help > Contact Us on your new phone.
– Emailing [email protected]
– Filling out the web form at www.whatsapp.com/contact
Explain your situation to the support reps in as much detail as possible. If you no longer have access to your old phone number, mention this clearly. Support can investigate and manually activate your account on the new device if needed.
However, this process can take several days to get a response. So only use it as a last option if you’ve exhausted all other self-service verification methods.
Preventing this issue in the future
While tedious to deal with, there are a few ways to avoid this WhatsApp verification issue when getting a new phone number in the future:
– **Maintain both numbers simultaneously:** Keep your old SIM active in a spare phone when you get a new number. Once you’ve set up WhatsApp on the new phone, you can cancel the old SIM.
– **Use multiple devices:** Link your WhatsApp account to a secondary tablet or phone so you always have backup login access from another device.
– **Back up verification codes:** Set up 2-step verification on your current WhatsApp account and safely store the 10 backup codes in case you ever lose access to your main phone number.
– **Record account recovery info:** Note down your WhatsApp account recovery email, date of birth, and other info you provided when registering your account. This will help WhatsApp support verify your identity.
– **Maintain chat history backups:** Frequently back up your WhatsApp chats and media to Google Drive or local storage. You can restore your data if you have to register your number again.
Summary
Here are the key methods to get your WhatsApp verification code on a new phone if you no longer have access to your old number:
- Request WhatsApp to resend the SMS verification code
- Get the verification code through an automated WhatsApp call
- Enter your previously saved WhatsApp backup codes
- Uninstall WhatsApp and re-register your number from scratch
- Contact WhatsApp support to request account access
With some patience and persistence, you should be able to recover access to your WhatsApp account on a new phone through one of these methods. Be sure to take preventative measures like maintaining backups and secondary login devices to avoid this issue in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a verification code to use WhatsApp on my new phone?
WhatsApp requires SMS or call verification when you install the app on a new device to confirm you own the phone number and prevent unauthorized access to your account. This adds security to your messages and data.
How many times can I request the SMS code before WhatsApp blocks me?
You can attempt to resend the SMS verification up to 5 times within 24 hours before WhatsApp will block further attempts for security reasons. This limit resets after 24 hours.
Can I request a voice call even if I don’t have calling enabled on my phone number?
Yes, the automated WhatsApp verification call will still work to give you the 6-digit code verbally even if your phone number does not actually have voice calling activated.
How do I enable two-step verification and backup codes on WhatsApp?
On WhatsApp, go to Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable. You can then tap ‘Backup codes’ and generate 10 single-use codes to save as a backup for verification.
Can I still restore my chat history if I have to re-register my number?
Yes, as long as you maintained a recent backup of your WhatsApp chats and media on Google Drive or locally, you can use that to restore your messages after re-registering your number.