Meta-owned WhatsApp has started letting its roughly 3 billion users reserve a username, starting in early June. The feature isn’t fully live yet, but people can already claim their preferred handle so it’s ready to use once WhatsApp flips the switch later this year.
The big change is privacy. With usernames, you’ll be able to connect with people without sharing your phone number. That’s useful for anyone who doesn’t want to give out their personal number, and it also gives businesses a way to share a username instead of a phone number with customers.
How to reserve one
According to WhatsApp, go to Settings > Account, then tap Username under the “Your Account” section. The first time you do this you’ll see a “Create username” option where you can type in the handle you want.
If someone already took it, WhatsApp will offer a “Suggest a username” option with alternatives.
Meta said some usernames are already reserved as they are linked to public figures and major organizations. But if a user already has a handle on Facebook or Instagram, they can log in through those platforms and reserve the same username for WhatsApp.
After setting it up, the user can change it anytime using the “Edit” button in the same menu. They can also delete your username completely if you want.
WhatsApp is also adding a Username Key for more control. It lets you decide who can contact you: Everyone, or only people who know your 4-digit security key.
If someone doesn’t have the key, they’ll have to enter it the first time they message you. You can keep the key private or generate a new one whenever you like.
WhatsApp says the username feature will roll out to all users in phases over the next few weeks. For now, the app is only allowing reservations so the same name can’t be claimed by multiple people at once.
Also Read: No more phone numbers: WhatsApp rolls out usernames