Phone authentication
Auth and access
WhatsApp authentication
You can send one-time passcodes (OTP) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes via WhatsApp in addition to SMS. When WhatsApp is set up and enabled, Kinde prefers WhatsApp for delivering codes and falls back to SMS if WhatsApp delivery fails and SMS is configured.
What you need
Link to this section- A verified WhatsApp Business account in Meta
- WhatsApp API token (access token) and WhatsApp Business Account ID
- A configured SMS provider in Kinde if you want fallback delivery
Configuration
Link to this section-
In Kinde, go to Settings > Environment > Messaging > WhatsApp
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Turn on Enable WhatsApp
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Enter your WhatsApp token (from Meta)
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Enter your WhatsApp Business Account ID
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(Optional) Enter a Template name if you want to use a specific WhatsApp message template. If left blank, Kinde uses a default template.
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Select Sync WhatsApp
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After sync completes, the WhatsApp phone number dropdown appears.
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In WhatsApp phone number, select the phone number you want to use for sending codes.
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Select Save
After saving, Kinde sends OTP and MFA codes through WhatsApp when available, and falls back to SMS if delivery fails and SMS is configured.
Do I need a paid Kinde plan to use WhatsApp authentication?
Link to this sectionNo. WhatsApp authentication is available on every Kinde plan, including Free. Kinde does not cap the number of WhatsApp messages you can send and does not charge for WhatsApp delivery. WhatsApp is a bring-your-own-provider integration, so Meta charges you separately for each message sent — see WhatsApp pricing for details.
The Kinde default SMS allowance applies to SMS only. If WhatsApp delivery fails and Kinde falls back to SMS, those fallback messages are sent through your SMS configuration, so they count toward your Kinde SMS allowance when you use Kinde default SMS.
Can I change the language of the WhatsApp messages?
Link to this sectionYes, you can change the language by going to Kinde > Settings > Environment > Languages. After changing languages, run Sync WhatsApp again so template languages are updated. If a configured language is not supported by WhatsApp, Kinde falls back to en-US.
Troubleshooting
Link to this sectionTemplates fail to create or sync
Link to this sectionTemplate issues are usually caused by Meta account setup or credential mismatches:
- Confirm your WhatsApp Business account is verified in Meta and templates can be created in WhatsApp Manager.
- Confirm the token and Business Account ID in Kinde match Meta and that the token has correct permissions.
- After fixing issues in Meta, run Sync WhatsApp again in Kinde.
Messages not received by users
Link to this section- Confirm the phone number is in a WhatsApp-supported format (for example, E.164 with country code).
- Confirm WhatsApp is available in the user’s region and the user has an active WhatsApp account.
- If you rely on fallback delivery, verify SMS is configured in Settings > Environment > Messaging > SMS.