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WhatsApp today announced a long-awaited feature: Usernames, which will allow users to share their profiles without revealing their phone numbers. However, WhatsApp will still require a phone number to create an account on the chat app.
WhatsApp is working on the addition Usernames For a few yearsand she’s finally ready to detail how it works.
Starting today, the Meta-owned company will allow users to reserve usernames, which will officially roll out later this year. People can choose any username from 3 to 35 characters. The company said it reserves the usernames of major celebrities, dignitaries and organizations. In addition, there are no restrictions on choosing a username, as long as it does not violate company policies. If businesses and creators want to maintain uniformity, they can claim their Facebook or Instagram username as their WhatsApp username, Mita said.
Users will receive a notification once the option to reserve a username is available in their country. Next, they can go to Settings > Account > Username to choose their username. WhatsApp will also provide an option for users to set a username key that others will need to know to message them.
Meta indicated that the reason for the reservation process is to avoid duplication of its user base More than 3 billion. The company said that usernames will not be searchable in the app, and only people who know your exact username will be able to contact you. Additionally, you can turn off the feature or change your username at any time.
“When you meet someone new, whether it’s a classmate, a neighbor, or someone you met at an event, sharing your phone number can feel like a big step,” Alice Newton-Rex, vice president and head of product at WhatsApp, said at a press conference. “Your phone number is personal, and connected to so many other parts of your life.” “So usernames are designed to give you control over who can see your phone number in the first place.”
Currently, users will need to share their username verbally or via text message. There is no option to scan a QR code to call someone without knowing their phone number.
Competing messaging apps, incl cable, signaland Wirehave had usernames for a few years now, allowing people to keep their phone numbers private. WhatsApp, Which changed its leadership last weekthe feature is finally being rolled out.
The story has been updated to reflect that usernames are between 3 and 35 characters long.
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