WhatsApp on Friday officially introduced two-step verification for its users for "enhancing security by providing a safe and secure app", said a statement released by the messaging app.

"The two-step verification feature was rolled out on February 10, 2017, to over 1.2 billion WhatsApp users across the globe," said the statement.

The two-step verification is an optional feature that adds more security to the users accounts. With the feature enabled, any attempt to very a user's phone number on WhatsApp will have to be accompanied by by a six-digit passcode which the user can pre-assign, added the statement from the messaging app.

To enable the two-step verification, open WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable.

Facebook acquired WhatsApp in February 2014 for $16 billion.

WhatsApp has operated with some autonomy since Facebook bought it. The company has more than 200 staff, mostly engineers and customer support, up from 50 when Facebook bought it.