WhatsApp is developing an account password feature for Android users that would replace the current two-step verification PIN. The change was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.29.4, though it is not yet available for beta testing. WhatsApp has not confirmed any plans for this change, and the AllBetaInfo team has not tested it directly, so this report is based on verified beta testing community findings. The password would require both letters and numbers.
What WhatsApp Is Changing About Two-Step Verification
Two-step verification on WhatsApp currently relies on a 6-digit numeric PIN that users set up as an extra layer of account protection. WhatsApp is now working on replacing that PIN entirely with an alphanumeric password. This marks a shift from an earlier direction WhatsApp had explored, in which a password would have been added on top of the existing PIN rather than replacing it outright.
The earlier concept surfaced in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.7.8, where a password appeared as an additional security layer stacked on top of two-step verification. WhatsApp has since moved away from that approach. The newer sighting in beta 2.26.29.4 shows the password positioned as a direct replacement for the PIN, rather than an extra step added alongside it, according to earlier reporting on the account password concept.
How the New Password Would Work
The account password would need to be between 6 and 20 characters long and include at least one letter and one number. This matches the character requirements first described when the password concept was originally spotted, according to independent security reporting on the password feature. Users would set the password directly within the app, replacing the numeric PIN as the credential requested during two-step verification.
Two-step verification would remain entirely optional under this new system, just as it is today. Users who do not want the extra security layer could continue without setting one up. For those who do enable it, the password would simply take the place of the PIN as the method WhatsApp uses to confirm identity during registration.
Why a Password Is Harder to Guess Than a PIN
A 6-digit numeric PIN only draws from ten possible digits at each position, which limits the total number of combinations available. An alphanumeric password that mixes letters and numbers, and can run up to 20 characters, offers a far larger pool of possible combinations. This makes a password significantly harder to guess or brute-force than a numeric PIN, according to additional coverage of the account password requirements.
The added difficulty matters most in scenarios where someone has already gained partial access to an account, such as through a SIM swap. Even if an attacker manages to intercept the SMS verification step, they would still need to correctly guess the password before gaining full access. A longer, more complex password gives WhatsApp accounts a stronger second line of defense than the current numeric PIN provides.
What This Means for Current Two-Step Verification Users
Users who already have two-step verification enabled with a PIN would be able to update their security credential once this change becomes available. WhatsApp has not confirmed exactly how that transition would work for existing users. It remains possible that WhatsApp will prompt affected users directly, guiding them through switching from a PIN to a password step by step once the feature is ready.
Nothing about this change would make two-step verification mandatory for users who currently leave it disabled. The shift only affects the method used by people who already choose to enable two-step verification, replacing the numeric PIN with a password without altering the underlying structure of how the feature works.
Current Development Status
The account password feature remains under development and is not yet available to any Android beta testers. WhatsApp has not confirmed whether it will proceed with this approach, and the direction could still change before any wider release. The sighting in beta 2.26.29.4 gives a clear signal of where WhatsApp’s plans currently stand, but nothing has been finalized publicly.
WhatsApp has also given no indication of a timeline for when this feature might reach beta testers or the stable app. Given that WhatsApp explored a different approach to the same problem earlier in 2026 before shifting direction, the final implementation could still evolve further before it becomes available to any testers.
Conclusion
WhatsApp has not announced when the account password feature will move from development into active beta testing on Android. The shift from an additional password layer to a full PIN replacement suggests WhatsApp is still refining how the feature fits into its existing two-step verification system before testers see it.
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