Fake WhatsApp Update Messages
"Your WhatsApp will expire. Update now." How fake update messages spread malware and steal accounts, and how genuine WhatsApp updates actually reach your phone.
A message warns that your WhatsApp is out of date and will stop working, or offers a new version with exciting features. There is a link to "update now". It leads to a fake app, a phishing page, or a request for your code.
hxxps://whatsapp-update-new[.]app/downloadHow genuine updates work
- Updates come through your phone's official app store.
- Many phones update apps automatically.
- If WhatsApp needs updating, the app itself tells you and sends you to the store.
- WhatsApp does not send download links in chats.
What fake updates do
- Install a modified or malicious app.
- Ask for your number and code, taking over your account. See the code scam.
- Push you to forward the message to spread it.
To update safely, open your app store, search for WhatsApp, and tap Update if it is offered.
Installed something already? See malicious files and APKs. For more, see our guide to WhatsApp scams.
Frequently asked questions
How does WhatsApp really update?
Through your phone's official app store, either automatically or when you tap Update there.
Will WhatsApp stop working if I don't update?
Very old versions eventually stop being supported, and the app itself tells you to update through the app store. It never sends a download link in a chat.
I installed an update from a link. What now?
Uninstall it, reinstall WhatsApp from the official store, and follow our steps for malicious files.
Sources
- About unofficial apps, WhatsApp Help Center
- How to protect your account from malware, WhatsApp Help Center
- About suspicious messages and scams, WhatsApp Help Center
