WhatsApp to Introduce Usernames, Ending Need to Share Phone Numbers

WhatsApp has announced a new privacy feature that will allow users to communicate through usernames instead of phone numbers.

The Meta-owned messaging platform said it has started allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of a wider rollout expected later this year. The update will give users the option to be discovered and contacted only through their chosen username.

WhatsApp said the feature is designed to provide its more than three billion users with greater control over who can reach them. The company explained that there will be no public username directory or automatic suggestions, meaning people must know a user’s exact handle before contacting them.

The platform currently allows anyone with a user’s phone number to send messages, but the new system aims to improve privacy by reducing the need to share personal numbers.

WhatsApp’s Vice President of Product, Alice Newton-Rex, said the username system was created as a major privacy feature.

The usernames will be between three and 35 characters long. Popular names may be in high demand, and WhatsApp said it will reserve usernames linked to celebrities, public figures, government bodies and other high-profile accounts to prevent impersonation.

The company also confirmed that businesses, organisations and creators with accounts on Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook will have opportunities to claim matching usernames on WhatsApp.

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