- WhatsApp will introduce usernames to improve privacy and reduce phone number use
- Users can reserve unique usernames before the feature's full rollout later this year
- Contacts will require exact usernames, with no public directory or search suggestions
In order to improve privacy and reduce dependence on phone numbers, WhatsApp is set to introduce usernames as an alternative way for users to connect on the platform, the company said on Monday, according to an Associated Press report.
The Meta-owned messaging platform has started allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of the feature's wider rollout expected later this year.
Once launched, users will have the option to be discovered and contacted through their chosen username instead of sharing their mobile number.
WhatsApp, which has over 3 billion users worldwide, currently allows anyone with access to a user's phone number to contact them.
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The company said the upcoming feature is designed as a “core privacy feature” to address this gap.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's vice president of product, said users will need to know a person's exact username to contact them for the first time.
The platform will not create a public directory of usernames or suggest usernames while users search.
The company said privacy controls will continue to include features such as blocking individual users and silencing unknown callers.
Usernames will be between three and 35 characters long, while accounts linked to businesses, creators and organisations on Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook will get an opportunity to claim matching usernames.
To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp plans to reserve usernames associated with celebrities, public figures and government entities.
The move follows growing demand for greater privacy on messaging platforms, particularly as WhatsApp's global user base continues to expand across Europe, Asia and other regions.
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