WhatsApp is found introducing a new verification method for those setting up an account through Flash Calls. Android users can now try verifying their phone number through a flash phone call, where WhatsApp will be calling your number to check if it’s functional. Users may choose this since it’s quick and requires no effort of typing in an OTP like in SMS verification.
WhatsApp Phone Call Verification
Registering a new account or restoring an old one, you have to verify your WhatsApp account, however. To date, the platform offers authenticating only with SMS. Thus you need access to your Messages to read OTPs or asks you to enter them manually. But now, it’s adding a new option called Flash Calls.
As noted by WaBetaInfo in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.21.11.7, the platform is seen offering two methods of verifying the account while setting up – One by Flash Calls and the other by SMS.
While the latter is general and existing for years, the former is new and automatic. When you choose to verify with Call, WhatsApp will call your number to check whether it’s functional or not.
WhatsApp should be permitted to access your phone app and check the call logs so that it can verify the last call coming from itself.
While WhatsApp promises not to look over anything else, it’s still a risk that cannot be avoided. But if you want to, you can choose the regular SMS method for verification.
Since the verification call coming from WhatsApp is of different numbers every time, there’s no way to trick it.
Also, this feature is available only for Android users, as Apple doesn’t have any public API for third-party apps to access the call logs in iOS. But, as it’s seen in Beta, it should soon come to stable versions.
