INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Facebook today released a new SDK that allows mobile app developers to integrate WhatsApp verification into Account Kit for iOS and Android
This will allow developers to build apps where users can opt to receive their verification codes through the WhatsApp app installed on their
phone instead of through SMS.
Today, many apps give users the ability to sign up using only a phone number — a now popular alternative to
Facebook Login, thanks to the social network numerous privacy scandals that led to fewer people choosing to use Facebook with third-party
apps.
Plus, using phone numbers to sign up is common with a younger generation of users who don&t have Facebook accounts — and sometimes
barely use email, except for joining apps and services.
When using a phone number to sign in, it common for the app to confirm the user by
sending a verification code over SMS to the number provided
The user then enters that code to create their account
This process can also be used when logging in, as part of a multi-factor verification system where a user account information is combined
with this extra step for added security.
While this process is straightforward and easy enough to follow, SMS is not everyone preferred
That particularly true in emerging markets like India, where 200 million people are on WhatsApp, for example
In addition, those without an unlimited messaging plan are careful not to overuse texting when it can be avoided.
That where the WhatsApp
Once integrated into an iOS or Android app, developers can offer to send users their verification code over WhatsApp instead of text
They can even choose to disable SMS verification, notes Facebook.
This is all a part of WhatsApp Account Kit, which is a larger set of
developer tools designed to allow people to quickly register and log in to apps or websites using only a phone number and email, no password
required.
This WhatsApp verification codes option has been available on WhatsApp web SDK since late 2018, but hadn&t been available with
