WhatsApp Will Allow Users to Go by Usernames Instead of Phone Numbers, Closing a Privacy Blind Spot
The feature lets users hide phone numbers, and WhatsApp is adding an optional four-digit key for extra protection.
- Today, Meta announced that WhatsApp users can now reserve unique usernames, allowing them to claim handles before the feature officially launches later this year to connect without sharing phone numbers.
- WhatsApp is adopting this feature to close a privacy gap that rival messaging apps like Telegram, Signal, and Wire addressed years ago, aiming to reduce reliance on phone numbers for initial contact.
- Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President of Product at WhatsApp, stated there is no public directory, meaning people must know a user's exact handle; users can also enable an optional username key for additional security.
- To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp is reserving handles for VIPs and organizations, while businesses and creators can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook handles to ensure consistency across Meta Platforms.
- With CRED founder Kunal Shah now overseeing the platform's direction, this rollout marks the first major product move under new leadership; the feature will roll out gradually in the coming months.
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WhatsApp to begin offering usernames
Meta said it would gradually roll out username reservations worldwide ‘over the coming months’, notifying users in each country when they open there. (EPA Images pic) PARIS: The hundreds of millions who use Meta-owned messenger WhatsApp to chat with family, friends or businesses will no longer need to share phone numbers under a coming update, the company said Monday. Instead, people will be able to pick unique usernames to share with others, in…
WhatsApp opened the process to book a user name this Monday, an optional feature that will allow you to hide the phone number when a person first contacts other users or businesses.The registration to book a user name will be available this week on a global scale for the more than 3 billion users of the platform.Although the registration starts immediately, the activation of the function will arrive gradually over the next few months.The company…
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