LONDON : The Meta-owned messaging platform announced that users can begin reserving unique usernames ahead of the feature’s rollout, which is expected later this year.

According to WhatsApp, users will be able to share and use their username for conversations instead of revealing their phone number. The company did not announce a specific launch date, saying only that the feature will be introduced “in the coming months.”

“We designed this as a core privacy feature,” WhatsApp Vice President of Product Alice Newton-Rex told reporters.

The company said it will not provide username suggestions or a directory to help users search for names, a move intended to enhance privacy and reduce unwanted contact.

Businesses, organisations and content creators with accounts on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms will also be eligible to secure corresponding WhatsApp usernames.

To minimise impersonation, usernames must be between three and 35 characters and comply with the platform’s naming rules. WhatsApp said it will reserve usernames associated with high-profile individuals, public figures, celebrities and government entities to help prevent misuse.

Currently, anyone with a user’s phone number can initiate contact on WhatsApp. The new username system is designed to offer an additional layer of privacy by allowing users to communicate without sharing their mobile number.

It is worth noting that WhatsApp, which claims to have more than 3 million users worldwide, currently allows anyone with a user’s phone number to initiate contact.

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