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Plenty of WhatsApp conversations still begin with sharing your phone number first. The good news is that the company is preparing to remove that hurdle by letting people reserve usernames now, ahead of a full launch later this year through in-app notices.
The company says starting this week, the option to choose usernames will appear in the latest version of the app under Settings > Account > Username.
How Would It Work
When usernames launch, WhatsApp says the first message to a person or business will show the username, not the phone number, as long as the sender has enabled the feature.
It is worth noting that WhatsApp is not turning usernames into a people search engine. The company says there will be no public directory and no name suggestions, so a new contact must know the exact username before starting a conversation.
The Meta-owned chat app is also adding an optional username key, an extra code that someone must know before messaging through a username.
However, a reserved handle should not be confused with anonymity. WhatsApp accounts still require phone numbers, and numbers already shared with contacts or visible in existing group chats can still be seen after the feature is enabled. The privacy gain applies mainly to new conversations started through the username system.
Picking a name will not be a free-for-all. WhatsApp’s Help Center says usernames must be between 3 and 35 characters and can use lowercase letters, numbers, the _ symbol, and periods. AP also reported that WhatsApp will hold back names linked to celebrities, public figures, government entities, and other high-profile accounts to limit impersonation.
The company says accounts with existing Instagram or Facebook usernames will get an option to claim those names on WhatsApp, if available. For brands that already handle customer conversations on WhatsApp, losing a familiar name could create confusion once people start sharing usernames in place of phone numbers.
The Idea is Not New
Privacy-minded users will recognize the idea from other messaging apps. Telegram has long allowed people to use usernames so others can contact them without seeing a phone number, and Signal added a similar phone number privacy system in 2024.
WhatsApp is now bringing that model to a much larger user base, but with its own limits, including that usernames will not be searchable in a public directory, contacts must know the exact handle, and users can add a username key before strangers can message them.
