WhatsApp is making a big step in improving user privacy by adding usernames, a long-awaited feature that allows people to connect without getting their phone number. The Meta-owned messaging service also showed off Facebook Messenger on Monday that users can reserve their unique usernames ahead of the global roll-out later this year.
The update is to give some control to the user over their own personal information so people can interact with new people, join community groups or meet up with businesses without having their mobile numbers on display.
For years, WhatsApp required users to share their phone numbers to connect with others, which was sometimes a source of privacy issues. At a meeting, in a neighborhood group or in a school or sports community chat, users had to reveal their own phone number.
With usernames, that is about to change.
Once the feature has been implemented, WhatsApp says users who enable a username will be able to communicate with people and businesses without showing their phone number when there's a first meeting. So far others will just need to know the user's username to start a conversation.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's Vice President of Product, described usernames as a “core privacy feature” and said the company has intentionally designed the system to avoid unwanted contact.
Unlike other social media platforms, WhatsApp will not provide a searchable username directory or suggestions when users type. That way people cannot randomly find usernames through the app. You will need the exact username to initiate a chat, and it adds another layer of privacy.
In an attempt to enhance security, WhatsApp is adding an optional username key to the app as well. Users who enable the feature can ask others to enter an additional unique key before sending a message to them and so have even more control over who can make first contact.
Because billions of people use WhatsApp, WhatsApp is letting early username reservations in order to avoid conflicts over popular names. With more than 3 billion users worldwide, duplicate names are likely to be found so opening reservations ahead of the launch opens up the door for everyone to secure their preferred username.
WhatsApp will also provide a built-in username generator for users who cannot think of a handle for themselves.
Businesses, creators and organizations will also receive more benefits. Users with Instagram or Facebook accounts will be able to have the same username on WhatsApp, allowing them to be a consistent identity across Meta’s platforms.
In order to prevent impersonation, WhatsApp will reserve usernames for celebrities, public figures, government institutions and other high-profile individuals. And usernames are required to be at least three to 35 characters long and formatted in a way that can be unique and secure.
They believe it will be of particular interest to users who are joining community groups where they may not know everyone personally. Parents who are going to school or sports team chats, students who meet their classmates or professionals who will meet up at an event will now have a way to communicate without having to share very sensitive contact information at once.
So users can reserve their username by upgrading to the latest version of WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account > Username. You can already make reservations for this account but the actual username messaging feature will be released gradually over the months. WhatsApp says users will receive an in-app notification once the feature is available in their country.
The usernames are one of WhatsApp’s biggest privacy improvements in recent years. With such concerns for digital privacy continuing to grow, such features draw WhatsApp closer to Telegram and Signal, where users have long been able to connect without revealing their phone numbers.
For billions of users around the world, usernames could fundamentally change how people meet, communicate, and protect their privacy on one of the world’s most popular messaging apps.
