WhatsApp is introducing a new privacy feature that will allow users to communicate using usernames instead of their phone numbers. The Meta-owned messaging platform announced that users will soon be able to reserve unique usernames, which will be required for initial contact, addressing a long-standing privacy concern.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's vice president of product, stated that the username feature is designed as a core privacy enhancement, responding to user feedback about not always wanting to share phone numbers. The feature will be rolled out globally to WhatsApp's three billion account holders over the next few months, with username reservations beginning Monday. Users will need to know another person's exact username to initiate a conversation, and there will be no searchable directory of usernames within the app.
Usernames must be between three and 35 characters long. To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp will reserve usernames for high-profile officials, celebrities, and government entities. Companies and creators with existing accounts on Meta's platforms like Instagram and Facebook will receive priority to claim their corresponding WhatsApp usernames.
Carisa Veliz, a professor at Oxford University, noted that while the feature offers more privacy, WhatsApp itself collects significant metadata for marketing purposes, reminding users of Meta's overall privacy track record.