WhatsApp now allows users to authenticate their account with an email address instead of the traditional phone number, allowing authentication when cellular coverage is iffy.
While the new option to link an account to an email address does not replace SMS verification via a six-digit PIN code (and opening an account still requires a phone number), email verification allows users to authenticate their account on an internet-connected device, when cellular service is unavailable.
As shared by MacRumors, the new feature is currently rolling out as part of version 23.24.70 of WhatsApp for iPhone in the App Store. To use email verification after updating the app, tap the “Settings” tab, tap “Account,” then tap “Email Address.”
The messaging service is also working on a username feature that could provide users on the messaging service with an additional layer of privacy. The feature is still in development and a timeframe for the roll-out of that feature has not been announced.