When you set up a number on the WhatsApp Business API, Meta asks you to create a 6-digit PIN. Here’s what it’s for.
What two-step verification is
Two-step verification (also called 2FA) is a 6-digit PIN attached to your WhatsApp phone number.
It’s switched on by default for every registered number. Whenever someone tries to register that number on a WhatsApp platform, Meta asks for this PIN. No PIN, no registration. It’s a simple lock that proves you’re the real owner of the number.
Example: you set the PIN “418207” during setup. Months later, when the number is moved or re-registered, that same PIN is needed — so a stranger with only your phone number still can’t take it over.
Why it’s required
Your WhatsApp number is valuable: it carries your conversations, your templates, and your brand name. Without a lock, anyone who got hold of the number could try to register it elsewhere.
The 2FA PIN stops that. It’s Meta’s requirement, not optional, and it protects you from number hijacking — one of the most common ways business accounts get stolen.
Where it’s set
You set the PIN during onboarding, when your number is first registered on the API. You choose the 6 digits yourself.
Pick something that isn’t easy to guess:
- Avoid
123456,000000, or111111. - Avoid the last 6 digits of the phone number.
- Store it somewhere safe, like a password manager.
You don’t enter this PIN every day — only when the number is registered or re-registered — which is exactly why people forget it.
Who can turn 2FA off
For security reasons, ChatMitra cannot change your 2FA settings for you — there’s no API access to it on our side, and that’s deliberate. Only you (the client) or an administrator of your Meta business portfolio can disable it. That way, nobody but the real owners of the account can ever unlock the number.
How to turn off two-step verification
If you forgot the PIN, or you need to re-register the number with a fresh PIN, you can switch 2FA off through Meta and then set it again. Here’s how:
Go to Meta Business Manager > WhatsApp Manager > Phone Numbers > Settings.
Pick Two-Step Verification from the side panel, then click Turn off two-step verification.
Meta sends an email with a confirmation link to the address on your business portfolio.
Open that email and click the link to finish turning 2FA off.
Once it’s off, set a fresh 6-digit PIN as soon as you can — leaving the number unprotected is risky.
A safety reminder
Only you should ever do this. If anyone you didn’t contact asks you for the PIN, or offers to “turn off 2FA for you”, stop — that’s exactly how scammers steal numbers. Meta and legitimate providers never need you to read out your PIN.