Meta is preparing a significant privacy-focused update for WhatsApp, introducing the ability to connect with others using usernames instead of phone numbers. The change, initially outlined by the company in June, will let users share a dedicated username rather than their personal mobile number, offering a new layer of separation between the messaging platform and other aspects of daily life.
How usernames will work
The feature addresses a long-standing user concern: the hesitancy to share a phone number—now tied to banking, social media accounts, and government services—in casual or transactional settings. By requiring a unique, exact username for first-time contact, WhatsApp removes the need to expose a personal number when joining groups, chatting with new acquaintances, or dealing with marketplace buyers. There will be no public directory or suggested contact list; a username must be known explicitly, and an optional username key will provide an extra barrier against unsolicited messages.
Early access for users and brands
Although full functionality is not yet live, WhatsApp is allowing early reservation of usernames on both Android and iOS through the Settings > Account > Username path within the very latest app version. Meta has also taken steps to secure handles for major brands and public figures who already maintain Meta accounts on Facebook or Instagram, enabling those entities to claim their corresponding usernames when the feature rolls out broadly.
A broader shift away from phone numbers
Usernames mark the latest move in a deliberate strategy to reduce WhatsApp’s historical reliance on phone numbers as the sole identifier. Recent updates already permit logging in via email, bypassing SMS-based verification after an initial setup. Combined with the new username system, this makes it feasible to use the service with a phone number kept largely invisible to other users. The direction mirrors features long available on rival platforms like Telegram and brings WhatsApp closer to the identity model used by its sister apps. With Instagram Plus and WhatsApp Plus both recently introduced, the push points toward a tighter alignment across Meta’s messaging ecosystem.
For a tool whose architecture was once firmly tied to a single phone number, the addition of usernames removes a persistent friction point and delivers what may be one of the platform’s most practical privacy enhancements in years.
Source: blog.whatsapp.com