WhatsApp today announced a long-awaited feature: usernames, which will allow users to share their profiles without revealing their phone number. However, WhatsApp will still require a phone number to create an account on the chat app.
WhatsApp has been working on adding usernames for a few years now and is finally ready to detail how they work.
Starting today, the Meta-owned company will allow users to reserve usernames, which will be officially launched later this year. Users can choose any username of 3 to 35 characters. The company said it reserves usernames for top celebrities, VIPs and organizations. Besides, there are no restrictions on choosing a username as long as it does not violate company policies. Meta said that if businesses and creators want to maintain uniformity, they can claim their Facebook or Instagram username as their WhatsApp username.
Users will receive a notification once the username reservation option is available in their country. After that, 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 in order to message them.
Meta noted that the reason for the reservation process is to avoid duplication for its more than 3 billion user base. The company said 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 disable 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 be a big step. Your phone number is personal and connected to so many other parts of your life,” Alice Newton-Rex, vice president and head of product at WhatsApp, said in an update. “So usernames are designed to give you control over who can see your phone number in the first place.”
Currently, users must share their username verbally or via text. There is no option to scan a QR code to contact a person without knowing their phone number.
Rival messaging apps, including Telegram, Signal and Wire, have had usernames for a few years, allowing users to keep their phone numbers private. WhatsApp, which changed its leadership last week, is finally rolling out the feature.
History is updated to reflect that usernames are between 3 and 35 characters.
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