How to Fix “You Need the Official WhatsApp to Log in” Error

As part of its efforts to shut down unverified, modded, third-party versions, WhatsApp has now begun flagging users during initial authentication if they use an unofficial version of the app or a modified environment (e.g., on a rooted device or with an unlocked bootloader).

NOTE: For users running the original version but still receiving the ‘You Need the Official WhatsApp to Log in‘ message, it’s important to note that WhatsApp performs server-side verification using the Google Play Integrity API. Unfortunately, WhatsApp will not support devices that do not pass these checks.

Why is WhatsApp Not Verifying App Status?

1. WhatsApp cannot validate the phone number associated with your device.
2. Your phone number was likely banned or flagged due to using the app in a vulnerable environment.
3. You may have rooted your device or installed a custom ROM recently.
   • It is possible that the newly installed ROM is not secure and fails to pass basic Play Integrity API checks on the device.
4. You may have linked a modded WhatsApp application to your mobile number.

Pre-Requisite: Check if Your Phone Number is Banned

This authentication error message can mean one of two things: either there is an issue with your account, or your phone is the culprit. In the third off-case scenario, if you’re not using the official version of the app, download the verified version from the Google Play Store.

For users with former complaints, check the following. This will give you a rough idea of isolating the cause of the issue:

1. Get a different phone and try to log in there.
   • If it works, the issue likely lies in your device. If not, your phone number may be banned.
2. On your current device, try a different phone number.
   • If it works, your phone number is likely flagged.

If your phone number works on another device and a different number works on your current device, the most commonly suggested solution is to flash your phone back to its stock ROM.

Companion Device Linking (Non-Root)

To bypass the official WhatsApp error message, you may need to use a WhatsApp Business account and link it to a companion device. With this method, you won’t need to root your device but will require a different phone, preferably one with no account linked to WA Business.

1) Link as Companion Device on Different Phone

In this device linking method, you’ll need a secondary device to log into WhatsApp. Before proceeding, sync your contacts via Gmail, and download WA Business from the Google Play Store on your current device.

1. Open WA Business, and tap “Agree and continue” to accept the Terms of Service.
2. On the verification page, tap the three vertical dots on the top right-hand side and select “Link as companion device.”
3. Scan the QR code with the secondary device.
4. Log out of WA Business on your secondary phone.

2) Log Back in On Your Primary Device

Once you’ve linked your phone as a companion device on your secondary device, you’ll be able to log back into your primary phone. Try to log back in and check if WhatsApp shows the same error message.

Spoof Bootloader via Magisk (Root Required)

WhatsApp is known to flag devices running on unlocked bootloaders, which means that re-locking the bootloader may resolve the issue. However, if your device is rooted, you could spoof the bootloader status and hide root access from the app itself.

1. Flash Magisk Kitsune, a fork of the official Magisk app, which has older features like MagiskHide re-added.
2. Open Magisk, and tap on the Settings gear icon on the top right-hand side.
3. Scroll down to “Zygisk” and toggle it on.
4. Below Zygisk, tap “Configure DenyList.” Tap the three vertical dots on the top right-hand side and select “Show system apps.”
5. Add WhatsApp, Play Store, and Google Play Services to the list.
6. Flash LSPosed’s Magisk module and install BootloaderSpoofer.
7. In BootloaderSpoofer, check all apps to hide the bootloader status from.
8. Open Magisk again, and tap on the Settings (gear icon) on the top right-hand side.
9. Scroll down to “Hide the Magisk app,” and tap on it.
10. Rename the file to a random app name and tap “OK.”
11. Magisk is now spoofed as a different app with a random package ID.

After completing these steps, you may need to disable Play Protect from within the Google Play Store. The steps below outline the procedure to do so:

1. Head on over to the Google Play Store, and tap on your account’s profile picture on the top right-hand side.
2. Tap on “Manage apps & device.”
3. Tap on the Play Protect icon and head over to the service’s settings. To do this, tap on the gear icon in the top right-hand side.
4. Toggle off the “Scan apps with Play Protect” setting.

Once Play Protect is disabled, reboot your device and try to verify your phone number on WhatsApp. If it still doesn’t work, check your Play Integrity status. On most custom ROMs, these checks fail to pass STRONG_INTEGRITY. In case you have issues with SafetyNet (now known as Play Integrity), consult our guide on bypassing Play Integrity checks on Android.