What to do if someone steals your WhatsApp account

If you suspect that someone else is using your WhatsApp account, the first thing to do is inform your family and friends as this individual could impersonate you in chats and groups.

However, WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted and messages are stored on your device, so someone accessing your account on another device can't read your past conversations, the social media platform said, in guide detailing what steps to take if an account is stolen.

How to recover your account

Sign into WhatsApp with your phone number and verify your phone number by entering the 6-digit code you receive via SMS.

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Once you enter the 6-digit SMS code, the individual using your account is automatically logged out.

You might also be asked to provide a two-step verification code. If you don't know this code, the individual using your account might have enabled two-step verification.

Due to the enabling of the verification, you must now wait seven days before you can sign in without the two-step verification code.

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Regardless of whether you know this verification code, the other individual was logged out of your account once you entered the 6-digit SMS code. 

Note from WhatsApp:

If you have access to your account and suspect someone is using your account via WhatsApp Web/Desktop, we recommend to log out of all computers from your phone.

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To protect your account, WhatsApp will notify you when someone tries to register a WhatsApp account with your phone number.