By Juliet Umeh
Meta’s messaging platform, WhatsApp, has unveiled a new feature that will allow users to initiate conversations without revealing their phone numbers, in a move aimed at enhancing privacy and giving users greater control over their personal information.
The platform on Monday, June 29, began rolling out username reservations globally ahead of the feature’s full launch later this year.
The development means users who enable the feature will be able to communicate with new contacts using a unique username instead of their phone number, making interactions with classmates, neighbours, event attendees and members of community groups more private.
According to WhatsApp, the move is part of its efforts to strengthen privacy for its more than three billion users worldwide.
The company said: “When someone new walks into your life, sharing a phone number can feel like a big step because a phone number is personal and tied to so many parts of your life. Sometimes you just want to chat without handing over your digits.”
It explained that users can reserve a unique username before the feature becomes available later this year, allowing them to secure their preferred identity early.
WhatsApp stressed that usernames are designed primarily as a privacy feature rather than as social media handles.
“There is no directory to browse and no suggestions. People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time,” the company said.
To provide an additional layer of protection, WhatsApp is also introducing an optional username key, which users can enable to require anyone contacting them for the first time to enter a unique key before sending a message.
The company noted that, for most users, a username should be something unique that is shared only with people they want to communicate with. It also introduced a username generator to help users create available usernames.
For creators, small businesses and organisations, WhatsApp said it has reserved an option that allows them to claim the same usernames they already use on Instagram or Facebook, enabling them to maintain a consistent presence across Meta’s platforms.
Once the feature becomes fully available, users who communicate through usernames will no longer have their phone numbers displayed when messaging a person or business for the first time, provided they have enabled the feature.
WhatsApp said users can reserve a username through the latest version of the application by navigating to Settings > Account > Username, adding that the feature will be rolled out gradually over the coming months, with users receiving in-app notifications when it becomes available in their respective countries.
