WhatsApp is set to introduce usernames, allowing users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers.
The new feature, which will be rolled out globally over the coming months, will be available to the platform’s three billion users. From Monday, users will be able to reserve a username through the app, although adopting one will not be mandatory.
According to WhatsApp, users will be free to change or delete their usernames at any time.
Once the feature is fully activated, people will be able to connect by exchanging usernames alone. Existing safety tools, including the ability to block and report unwanted contacts, will remain in place.
Usernames will be limited to 35 characters. While most names will be available, certain high-profile public figures and celebrities will have reserved usernames to prevent impersonation.
Meta-owned WhatsApp described the move as a privacy-focused enhancement.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s head of product, said many users had expressed reluctance to share their phone numbers, particularly in group conversations or when contacting people they do not know well.
She said the new feature would “give users control over how they choose to show up” on the platform.
WhatsApp is not the first messaging service to adopt the approach. Signal introduced a similar username system in 2024.
However, privacy advocates caution that the feature does not address broader concerns about data collection.
Carissa Véliz, professor at Oxford University and author of Privacy Is Power, said the feature would provide an additional layer of privacy but noted that WhatsApp still collects metadata, including information on who users communicate with and when.
While WhatsApp cannot access the content of private messages because they are protected by end-to-end encryption, it uses certain user data to support advertising services across Meta’s platforms.
When the rollout is completed, individual phone numbers will no longer be visible to other users through WhatsApp. There will be no public directory of usernames, although a phone number will still be required to create an account.
The announcement comes as WhatsApp undergoes a leadership change, with Kunal Shah, founder of an Indian fintech start-up, preparing to take over as head of the platform following the departure of Will Cathcart after seven years in the role.
Source: BBC
