WhatsApp is introducing usernames that will allow users to connect and chat without sharing their phone numbers, in a move aimed at strengthening privacy on the messaging platform.
According to BBC, the feature will begin rolling out globally over the next few months to the app’s three billion users, with people able to reserve a unique username from Monday.
The Meta-owned platform said using a username would be optional, and users would be free to change or remove it at any time.
Once the feature is fully available, WhatsApp users will be able to exchange usernames instead of phone numbers when starting conversations. The app will continue to offer options to block or report unwanted messages.
Usernames will be limited to 35 characters, although certain names linked to public figures and celebrities will be restricted to prevent impersonation.
WhatsApp’s Head of Product, Alice Newton-Rex, said the new feature was designed to give users greater control over their privacy.
“I have heard from users that they don’t always want to share their phone numbers in order to be in contact with others, particularly in group chats,” she said.
She added that the feature would “give users control over how they choose to show up” on the platform.
The move mirrors a similar feature introduced by secure messaging app Signal in 2024.
Despite the added privacy, some experts argue the update does not address broader concerns about data collection.
Professor Carissa Véliz of Oxford University said WhatsApp still gathers metadata, including information about who users message and when, for advertising purposes.
“It is a good feature, but even if it does offer more privacy, remember WhatsApp is not a privacy-friendly app overall,” she said.
WhatsApp stressed that private conversations remain protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning the company cannot read users’ messages, although phone numbers will still be required to create an account.
The platform also confirmed there will be no public directory of usernames, further limiting the chances of users being discovered without their consent.
