WhatsApp dumps use of phone number, introduces username

A messaging platform, WhatsApp, has started rolling out username reservations as a new privacy feature that will allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers.

Announcing this on Monday, WhatsApp noted that the reservation process began on June 29, ahead of the full launch of the feature later this year.

According to the statement, users will receive in-app notifications once the option becomes available to them.

WhatsApp said the new feature is designed to give users greater control over their privacy by enabling them to communicate with new contacts through a unique username rather than their personal phone numbers.

The company said there will be no public directory or username suggestions.

Anyone wishing to contact a user for the first time must know the person’s exact username.

WhatsApp also introduced an optional “username key,” an added security feature that requires first-time contacts to enter a unique key before sending a message, providing extra protection against unwanted messages.

“Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch this feature.

“With over three billion people on WhatsApp, many names overlap. That’s why we’re opening reservations early to give everyone an opportunity to secure the username that matters to them”, the company said in a statement.