WhatsApp Lets You Reserve a Username, Making Your Phone Number More Private
WhatsApp is preparing to roll out usernames, a feature that lets you chat with others on the platform without handing over your personal phone number -- you'll simply share your unique WhatsApp username instead.
WhatsApp first announced the goal of providing this feature in 2024. Other privacy-focused chat apps like Signal have supported usernames for a few years now.
Meta, which also owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, started allowing users to reserve their WhatsApp usernames on Monday, ahead of the feature's official launch later this year.
Privacy vs. phone numbers
While phone numbers have long been a universal way to contact others, they're also used as identifiers and are highly linked to our personal data.
In a blog post about the launch, WhatsApp says usernames help make the app a more private way to connect.
"There's no directory to browse and no suggestions -- people will need to know...
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