How to Change Your WhatsApp Security Code (and When It Changes)

You cannot manually change, choose, or reset your WhatsApp security code. WhatsApp generates the code automatically for each end-to-end encrypted one-on-one chat. It may change when you or your contact reinstall WhatsApp, move to another phone, or add or remove a linked device. There is no button that rotates it on demand.

If you saw “Your security code with this contact changed,” you usually do not need to do anything. You can verify the new code before sharing sensitive information. Here is what the code means, when it changes, and how to check it.

What is a WhatsApp security code?

Each one-on-one encrypted chat has a code you can view as a QR code or a 60-digit number. You and the other person can compare it to help confirm that your messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted. It is a visible representation used for verification, not the secret encryption key itself. WhatsApp explains this in its WhatsApp’s guide to security code changes.

This code is not the six-digit registration code WhatsApp sends when you sign in, your two-step verification PIN, or the key/password for an encrypted chat backup. Changing one of those credentials does not give you manual control over a chat’s security code.

When does your WhatsApp security code change?

WhatsApp may generate a different code after changes to the devices associated with either person in a conversation, including:

• Reinstalling WhatsApp: setting the app up again can result in a new code.
• Changing phones: registering or transferring your account to a different primary phone can change the code.
• Changing linked devices: adding or removing a paired phone or computer can also cause a change.

These are possible triggers, not a supported “reset security code” procedure. Your contacts will not necessarily all receive an alert: security notifications depend on their settings and devices. A changed code by itself does not prove that an account has been compromised.

How to find and verify the current security code

The useful action is usually to verify the new code, rather than trying to force another change. The flow is similar on Android and iPhone, although labels and screen layouts can vary with the WhatsApp version.

1. Open the individual chat

Open WhatsApp and select the conversation with the person you want to verify. Tap the contact’s name at the top to open their information screen. Security codes are associated with individual encrypted conversations, not a single universal number in your profile.

2. Open the Encryption section

On the contact information page, choose Encryption. Depending on your version, WhatsApp may check the conversation automatically or show an option to verify manually.

3. Compare the code with your contact

If you are together, use the live QR-code verification option on your phones. If you are apart, compare the complete 60-digit numbers through another trusted communication channel. Do not use the example QR image below for verification; use the code displayed inside your actual chat. You can follow WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption guide for further verification details.

4. Check again if the codes do not match

Confirm that you are both looking at the correct contact and account. If someone recently switched devices, reinstalled the app, or changed linked devices, open the current chat again and recheck. If the mismatch remains unexplained, confirm your contact’s identity through a channel you already trust before sending sensitive information.

Should you reinstall WhatsApp just to change the code?

Generally, no. Reinstalling or temporarily registering your account on a second phone is disruptive and may put your chat history at risk. Registering WhatsApp as your primary account on another phone signs you out of the previous one. A second phone is not a harmless shortcut to a user-controlled security-code reset.

If you genuinely need to change phones, back up or transfer your chats first and follow WhatsApp’s official phone-transfer guidance. You can review WhatsApp’s encrypted-backup information if you use encrypted backups. Do not switch phone numbers solely to manipulate a security-code notification.

How to turn security code change notifications on or off

To control alerts, open WhatsApp Settings → Account → Security notifications, then enable or disable Show security notifications. On some versions, the option is labeled for the specific phone or computer. Repeat the setting on any linked device where you want alerts. This affects notifications you receive; it does not turn off encryption, stop security codes from changing, or control notifications that other people choose to receive.

What if the code changed unexpectedly?

First, ask whether your contact recently changed phones, reinstalled WhatsApp, or adjusted their linked devices. Then verify the code as described above. If you suspect someone has taken over your own account, review linked devices, secure access to your phone number, and follow WhatsApp’s account-recovery instructions. Never share a WhatsApp registration code or two-step verification PIN with anyone who asks for it.

Bottom line: You cannot directly change a WhatsApp chat’s security code. Let WhatsApp handle changes automatically, and use its verification screen and optional notifications to check that you are talking to the intended person.