WhatsApp to Allow Users to Connect Through Usernames Instead of Phone Numbers

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1213 EAT on Tuesday 30 June 2026

WhatsApp is set to introduce usernames, allowing users to connect without sharing their phone numbers and addressing a long-standing privacy concern on the platform used by more than three billion people worldwide.

The Meta-owned messaging service announced on Monday that it has started allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of a broader rollout expected later this year. Once launched, the feature will enable users to choose whether they can be discovered and contacted through their usernames instead of their phone number

WhatsApp Username Feature Designed to Strengthen Privacy
WhatsApp said the new username feature is designed as a major privacy enhancement, with no public directory of usernames or autocomplete suggestions. Users will need to know a person’s exact username before contacting them for the first time.

The Meta-owned platform currently provides end-to-end encrypted communication across smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. However, users have previously been reachable by anyone who has access to their phone number.

In a blog post, WhatsApp said that over the “coming months”, users will have the option to be found and contacted only through their chosen username rather than their phone number. The company did not provide a specific date for the full rollout.
“We have designed this as a core privacy feature,” said Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s Vice President of Product.

“People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time,” she added.

Currently, WhatsApp’s privacy controls allow users to block individual contacts and silence calls from unknown numbers. The platform also allows users to set a profile name, but it is mainly visible in group chats to people who have not saved the user’s contact information.

WhatsApp, which remains less popular than traditional text messaging in the United States, has become one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms, with strong adoption across Europe, Asia and many other regions.

WhatsApp said it expects strong demand for the new username feature, prompting the company to open reservations early.
“I think a lot of people will go and get usernames, and that’s why we decided to open reservations early,” said Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s Vice President of Product.

Companies, organisations and creators with existing accounts on Meta-owned platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, will also have an opportunity to claim their usernames on WhatsApp.

The usernames will range from three to 35 characters. To prevent impersonation and protect users, WhatsApp said it will reserve certain usernames linked to high-profile individuals and organisations, including celebrities, public figures and government entities.

-Aljazeera

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