WhatsApp is finally cutting one of the biggest privacy trade-offs baked into its messaging app: having to hand over your phone number just to start a conversation.
For the first time, users will be able to create unique usernames that others can use to message them without seeing their phone numbers. The feature leaves phone numbers in place for account registration and security while introducing a new public identity for chats.
The change addresses a long-standing privacy concern for people messaging strangers, customers, buyers, sellers, or online communities, where sharing a personal number has often been unavoidable. It also brings WhatsApp closer to rivals like Telegram and Signal, which have supported username-based messaging for years.
How the feature works
Unlike social media usernames, WhatsApp usernames will not appear in a searchable directory, according to WhatsApp. That means people cannot simply reach you by guessing your username.
To provide more privacy controls, the company will introduce an optional username key that others must know to reach you. This is especially useful in case anyone manages to find your username; without that key, they won’t be able to message you.
Users also do not have to match their WhatsApp username to their social media handles. However, individuals and businesses that want a consistent identity across platforms can use the same username if it is available.
To create a username, users must first reserve one via their Android or iOS app.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version.
- Open Settings or You (on iOS).
- Tap Profile.
- Tap Create Username > Reserve Username.
- If the username is available, WhatsApp will confirm the reservation. If not, “you can use the username generator to suggest alternatives.”
Users can also update an existing username or delete one later.
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When you can start using WhatsApp usernames
The feature may not appear immediately after updating WhatsApp. Meta says the rollout began Monday and will expand “gradually over the next few months.”
WhatsApp also limits how often users can change their usernames, although the company has not disclosed the limit. Deleting a username removes it from the account and returns the account to using only a phone number.
Usernames must be unique, between three and 35 characters long, and may include lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), underscores (_), and periods (.). Usernames cannot consist only of numbers or include restricted words or phrases, although Meta has not defined which words fall into that category.
Meta also says some usernames will be automatically reserved for businesses, governments, and public figures.
Why WhatsApp usernames matter
WhatsApp has long required users to share their phone numbers before starting a conversation, creating a privacy trade-off that competing messaging apps such as Telegram and Signal largely solved years ago with usernames.
The new system lets people communicate without exposing one of their most personal pieces of contact information. That can reduce unwanted calls, spam, harassment, and the need to share a personal number with strangers when buying or selling items online, participating in community groups, or interacting with customers.
For businesses, usernames also create a more recognizable public identity that customers can remember without needing to exchange phone numbers. While the feature doesn’t eliminate phone numbers altogether, since they’re still required for account registration and security, it adds an extra layer of privacy between users and the people they choose to message.
For everyday users, the feature lets them chat without sharing a personal phone number or saving someone’s contact information. For businesses, the perks lean more towards brand consistency and reduced impersonation if your customers know your username and can reach you.
Also read: Meta’s $900 million CRED investment put Kunal Shah in charge of WhatsApp as the app expands beyond basic messaging.