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One of WhatsApp Most of the requested features are finally out of beta. Later this year, the messaging app used by more than 3 billion people plans to add usernames. It’s an additional (and more privacy-friendly) way to WhatsApp Users to call without sharing phone numbers.
But this means that the race for the best WhatsApp usernames is about to begin. Hold on tight.
WhatsApp says username reservations open this week on the platform, and you’ll see a notification in the app when it’s available. Check in the app by going to Settings And then account. Here’s where you’ll find it user name tab if enabled. After that, you will have the option to create a new username or port over your existing one Instagram or Facebook. WhatsApp offers a username generator, but you can also follow your gut (or what you’re really feeling at the moment).
“Usernames are designed to give you control over who can see your phone number in the first place,” says Alice Newton-Rex, vice president of products at WhatsApp. “It’s an optional feature; you can choose your username, you can change it or remove it, and it doesn’t have to match your account name or your account name in any other app.”
Newton Rex stressed that this WhatsApp feature was designed specifically for the user privacy. There is no public list of usernames that people can search. Users can also add an extra layer of security by allowing only people who know a unique four-digit key, as well as their username, to contact them.
Courtesy of WhatsApp
These usernames will remain entirely optional, but Newton-Rex sees this new choice as a privacy measure that many existing users have already expressed enthusiasm for. “I think we’re going to see a lot of adoption, but that’s going to be one of the things we learn as we start rolling it out,” she says.
WhatsApp isn’t shy about the similarities between this feature and competitors. “The names of the signal users might be a good comparison,” Newton-Rix says. “This would work in a very similar way.” signal It rolled out usernames on its platform in 2024. Many messaging apps are still testing different ways for users to connect without sharing numbers. For example, DM bacteria It allows its users to create “copier cards” so that people can communicate with multiple groups in different ways.
