WhatsApp is introducing a new username feature that will allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers, marking a major shift in how people interact on the messaging platform.
The feature, which will be rolled out to WhatsApp’s three billion users worldwide over the coming months, will enable people to communicate simply by exchanging unique usernames.
Starting Monday, users can begin reserving their preferred usernames through the app, though adoption of the feature will remain optional.
According to WhatsApp, users will be free to change or remove their usernames whenever they choose.
When the rollout is completed, people will be able to add and message one another using usernames alone, eliminating the need to reveal personal phone numbers. Existing safety measures, including the ability to block and report unwanted contacts, will remain in place.
Usernames can contain up to 35 characters and will face only limited restrictions.
However, certain names associated with prominent public figures and celebrities will be protected from public use.
As a result, names linked to well-known personalities such as US President Donald Trump are unlikely to be available for registration.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, said the addition is designed to enhance user privacy.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s head of product, said she had heard from users that they didn’t always want to share their phone numbers in order to be in contact with others, particularly in group chats.
She said she hoped the feature would “give users control over how they choose to show up” on the app.
The move follows a similar step taken by the encrypted messaging platform Signal, which launched usernames in 2024.
Despite the privacy benefits, some experts remain cautious.
“It is a good feature, but even if it does offer more privacy, remember WhatsApp is not a privacy-friendly app overall,” said Carisa Veliz, a professor at Oxford University and author of Privacy is Power.
“It collects much metadata about users for marketing purposes.
“We have to remember that WhatsApp is owned by Meta – one of the tech companies with the worst track records when it comes to privacy.”
While WhatsApp cannot access the content of private conversations because they are protected by end-to-end encryption, the platform still gathers certain data, including information about who users communicate with and when those interactions occur, to support advertising activities.
Once the username system is fully implemented, phone numbers will no longer be visible to other users on the platform.
However, a phone number will still be required to create and maintain a WhatsApp account.
The company also confirmed there will be no public directory of usernames.
WhatsApp’s minimum age requirement remains 13, and messaging services are not expected to fall under the United Kingdom’s planned social media restrictions for users under 16, which are scheduled to take effect next year.
The announcement comes shortly after WhatsApp revealed that Kunal Shah, founder of an Indian fintech start-up, will become the platform’s new head, succeeding Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after seven years in the role.
