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Under the new system, users will be able to share a username rather than their personal phone number when interacting with new contacts. However, a phone number will still be required to create and maintain a WhatsApp account.
WhatsApp has announced the introduction of usernames, a new feature designed to allow users to connect with others without sharing their phone numbers.
The messaging platform, owned by Meta, said on Monday that it has begun allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of a wider rollout expected later this year. The move is aimed at strengthening privacy for the platform’s more than three billion users worldwide.
Under the new system, users will be able to share a username rather than their personal phone number when interacting with new contacts. However, a phone number will still be required to create and maintain a WhatsApp account.
Explaining the rationale behind the feature, WhatsApp Vice President and Head of Product, Alice Newton-Rex, said sharing a phone number can often feel intrusive.
“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. Your phone number is personal, and it’s tied to so many other parts of your life,” she said.
“So usernames are designed to give you control of who gets to see your phone number in the first place.”
