Having someone try to register your phone number on WhatsApp without your permission can be annoying and concerning. Here are some steps you can take to figure out who is trying to register your number and prevent further attempts.
How to Know if Someone is Trying to Register Your Number
There are a few signs that indicate someone may be trying to register your number on WhatsApp without your consent:
- You receive an SMS or call with a WhatsApp verification code you didn’t request.
- WhatsApp tells you your number is already registered on another device when trying to register it yourself.
- You stop receiving WhatsApp SMS or call notifications on your device.
If any of these happen, it’s a clear sign someone else is trying to register your number. The WhatsApp verification code they sent allows them to link your number to their device without access to your SIM card.
Who Could be Trying to Register Your Number
There are a few possibilities of who may be attempting to register your phone number on WhatsApp:
- Someone you know – This could be a friend, family member, coworker, etc. trying to access your WhatsApp account and messages. They may have gotten hold of your phone briefly and saw your number.
- A scammer – Scammers often try to link other people’s numbers to their own devices. This allows them to use your number to create fake WhatsApp accounts for phishing schemes or spreading malware.
- Wrong number – It’s possible someone simply input your number by mistake when trying to register their own number. This is rare but can happen occasionally.
- Hacker – Hackers can sometimes obtain phone numbers in data breaches. They may try brute forcing WhatsApp registrations on numbers from stolen lists.
If you suspect it’s someone you know, check if they recently had access to your phone number. For other cases, it’s nearly impossible to determine exactly who is behind it without further evidence.
Steps to Prevent Further Registration Attempts
If someone is actively trying to register your number to their device, here are some steps you can take to secure your number and prevent further attempts:
- Register your number yourself – This links your number to your device before the other person can register it. WhatsApp will detect your registration and block theirs.
- Enable two-factor authentication – Adding an extra login step prevents others from registering your number without access to your email or second phone number.
- Change your number – Getting a new phone number and deactivating the old one will stop the registration attempts. This is more extreme but guaranteed to work.
- Contact WhatsApp – You can report unauthorized registration attempts directly to WhatsApp through their site or app. They may be able to block the person.
- Factory reset your phone – If you think your phone is compromised by malware, doing a factory reset can resolve the issue and secure your device.
Following these steps quickly can prevent the person from fully linking your number to their device. Even if they succeed initially, you can request WhatsApp unlink it after securing your account.
How WhatsApp Registration Works
To better understand how your number could be registered without your permission, here is an overview of how WhatsApp registration works:
- User provides their phone number and requests registration code.
- WhatsApp sends an automated SMS or voice call with 6-digit code.
- User inputs code on WhatsApp which verifies they own the number.
- WhatsApp links that number to the user’s device.
Normally only you can request the registration code, but if someone has your number they can request it as well. This allows them to register your number on any device before you enter the code yourself. Enabling two-factor authentication requires an extra step to prevent this unauthorized access.
Who Can See Your WhatsApp if Number is Registered
If someone else manages to register your number on their device, here is what they potentially have access to see in your WhatsApp account:
- Your profile photo, status, and “About” information
- Your entire contacts list
- All of your individual and group conversations
- Media files you’ve sent and received in WhatsApp
They can also message contacts while appearing to come from your number. Fortunately, once you re-register your number, the person will be logged out. Make sure to check your messages haven’t been compromised and contacts haven’t received odd messages “from you”.
How to Recover Your WhatsApp Account
If someone successfully registers your number on their device, here are the steps to recover and re-register your number to your own device:
- Install WhatsApp and enter your number when prompted.
- When informed the number is registered on another device, select “Recover account”.
- WhatsApp will unregister the number from the other device.
- You will then receive a verification code to re-register the number on your device.
- Once entered, your account will be restored with the unauthorized device removed.
This process immediately logs them out and reconnects your number to your device. You may also need to reset your WhatsApp PIN after recovering your account.
Precautions to Take
To avoid having your WhatsApp account compromised in the future, here are some useful precautions to take:
- Don’t click suspicious links which may install malware.
- Limit who you give your phone number to.
- Set a PIN or fingerprint lock on your phone.
- Ensure your phone OS and WhatsApp are up-to-date.
- Turn on WhatsApp two-factor authentication.
- Watch for notification changes or unfamiliar verification codes.
Practicing good security habits makes it much harder for someone to access your phone number and accounts. Be wary of those who may want to monitor your private conversations.
WhatsApp Number Registration Scams
Some scammers employ deceptive tactics to get users to hand over their own WhatsApp verification code. Here are some common scams involving WhatsApp registration:
- Fake verification request – Scammer contacts you pretending to be WhatsApp support needing to “verify” your number.
- Sim swap scam – Scammer clones your SIM card to intercept the verification code.
- Offering verification job – Scammer offers to pay you to register accounts with your number.
- Verification code generator – Online tools claim to generate valid verification codes to register numbers.
Never share your WhatsApp verification code with anyone. Legitimate businesses will never ask for it. Be wary of any unsolicited contact regarding your WhatsApp account.
Reporting Unauthorized Registrations
If you are unable to recover your account through WhatsApp’s prompts, you can report the issue directly to WhatsApp for help:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Help > Contact Us.
- Explain your number has been registered on an unauthorized device.
- Include your full phone number along with country code.
- WhatsApp’s support team can then investigate and attempt to resolve the issue.
WhatsApp may be able to ban the unauthorized device or facilitate account recovery. Make sure to also report suspicious activity to your mobile carrier as they may be able to block fraudulent SIM swaps.
Conclusion
Having your phone number registered on WhatsApp without authorization can certainly be a nuisance. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to undo the registration, prevent further attempts, and secure your account going forward. Practicing caution and good security habits will help minimize the chances of this happening to you.