WhatsApp is rolling out usernames, a long-anticipated feature designed to let users connect without sharing their phone numbers, as the messaging service expands privacy controls and narrows feature gaps with competing platforms.
The Meta-owned app said users will be able to reserve usernames beginning today, with the rollout expanding gradually across markets later this year. While accounts will still be tied to phone-number registration, users will be able to communicate using a chosen username rather than exposing personal contact details.
Usernames can contain between three and 35 characters and can be configured through the app’s account settings once the feature becomes available in a user’s region. WhatsApp is also introducing an optional username key that can be shared with trusted contacts as an added privacy layer.
“When you meet someone new, whether it’s a classmate, a neighbour, or someone you met at an event, sharing your phone number can feel like a big step,” Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president and head of product, said in a statement. “So usernames are designed to give you control of who gets to see your phone number in the first place.”
The move brings WhatsApp closer to competitors that have long supported username-based communication. Unlike some rival platforms, however, WhatsApp said usernames will not be searchable inside the app. Users will need to know an exact username before starting a conversation, a restriction aimed at reducing unwanted contact and preserving privacy.
The company also plans to reserve usernames for public figures, brands and organizations to limit impersonation risks. Businesses and creators will be able to claim usernames already used across Meta’s other social platforms to maintain consistency across services.
At launch, usernames can only be shared manually through text or spoken communication, with no QR-code functionality available initially. Users will be able to change or disable usernames at any time.
The feature arrives as WhatsApp continues to emphasize privacy and user control while serving a global audience of more than three billion users. Meta said a reservation system will help prevent duplicate usernames and support a gradual worldwide rollout.