How to recover your WhatsApp account after it was hacked

Did someone register your number and log you out of WhatsApp? You can try to regain access from a safe device if you have a SIM with the same number. I’ll walk you through registration and the checks that may appear; recovering the account does not guarantee your conversations will return.

Before you sign back in

Use a safe device to register the account again. You also need to receive a code on a SIM with the same number linked to the account. If you lost the SIM or no longer control the number, contact your carrier to recover the line before continuing: WhatsApp says it is not possible to recover the account without that SIM. Read WhatsApp’s official guidance for compromised accounts.

Never share your six-digit registration code with anyone, even if they claim to be WhatsApp or someone you trust. That code lets you register the number again.

Register the same number again

1. Open WhatsApp on the safe device and tap Log back in, then Continue. Labels may vary slightly across versions.
2. If prompted, enter the full international phone number and continue.
3. Enter the six-digit code you receive by SMS or phone call, or follow automatic verification if WhatsApp offers it.

When you re-register the number with that code, WhatsApp automatically logs the account out of other connected devices, even if you have not resolved two-step verification yet. If someone took over your main account, changing the password alone will not remove them: WhatsApp’s help says re-registering the number is the step that removes the other person. Read WhatsApp’s recovery steps and its phone number registration requirements.

If the code does not arrive, let the timer in your app finish and use a phone call only if that option appears. For general registration help, see WhatsApp’s official guide. If you specifically use the WhatsApp Business app and the problem is a missing code, you can follow the troubleshooting guide for that app; its steps do not cover every version of WhatsApp Messenger.

If two-step verification appears

The six-digit registration code and the two-step verification PIN or password are different credentials. The first confirms your number; the additional check may appear afterward. WhatsApp is upgrading its six-digit PIN to a password, so follow the help that matches what your screen shows. Read WhatsApp’s explanation of registration and two-step verification.

If the screen asks for a PIN you do not know, WhatsApp’s recovery help says to wait seven days and try again. That period applies to the unknown PIN described by WhatsApp; it is not the wait for an SMS. If the screen now asks for a password, follow the current password reset process in the app or WhatsApp’s two-step verification help, rather than assuming the PIN’s seven-day wait applies to a new password.

WhatsApp may offer an email code only if the email address was previously added and verified on the account, and only under the conditions shown in the app. Email does not replace access to the same number or SIM needed to register the account. If you do not see that option, use the method available in the app; email recovery is not guaranteed. WhatsApp’s registration help explains when email may be used.

If you can still open the main account

Someone using a linked device does not always mean they registered your main account on another phone. If you still have access to the account on your main phone and only see an unfamiliar session, open Linked devices, select that session, and tap Log out. This logs out the selected device; it does not recover a main account you can no longer access. Read how to unlink a device.

If you lost the main session, follow the same-number registration steps above. After regaining access, review linked devices and turn on the security options WhatsApp shows you.

What to expect after regaining access

If you suspect someone is messaging people as you, let people close to you know through another channel you control. Do not report the compromised account you are trying to recover first: WhatsApp warns that a report may lead it to ban the account and you could lose access or data. Its help recommends trying to recover the account before reporting it.

Regaining the account is not the same as restoring your chat history. WhatsApp says messages are stored on the device and a Google or iCloud backup might let you restore chats; it does not guarantee that a backup exists or contains every conversation. WhatsApp also cannot tell you who accessed the account or when and where it happened.

If the notice says the account is banned or suspended, follow the review process WhatsApp offers for that notice. The ban review guide is specifically for the WhatsApp Business app.