For years, adding someone on WhatsApp meant trading phone numbers. That is finally changing. The Meta-owned messenger, used by more than three billion people, is introducing usernames so you can connect with new people without handing your number over.
Reserve now, use later
The feature is not fully live yet, but reservations open this week. You can claim a username inside the app, under Settings and then Account, and lock it in before the wider launch later this year. With three billion-plus users, popular names will go quickly, which is exactly why WhatsApp is opening the queue early.
The privacy thinking goes deeper than a handle. There is no directory to browse and no search, so someone has to know your exact username to message you for the first time. Once it is switched on, new contacts no longer see your phone number. WhatsApp has also built an optional "username key", an extra code people need before they can reach you out of the blue.
What it doesn't change
You will still need a phone number to create and run your account; the username sits on top rather than replacing your SIM. Creators, small businesses and organisations that already have a presence elsewhere can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp, so their identity stays consistent across Meta's apps.
The rollout will happen gradually, country by country, over the coming months. But if there is a username you really want, the smart move is to open the app this week and plant your flag before someone else does.
