With more than three billion users, the race is now on to claim your preferred WhatsApp username.
Meta’s end-to-end encrypted messaging platform announced today that it is letting people reserve usernames ahead of the feature’s launch later this year.
The move is being pitched as a major privacy upgrade for the platform. Currently, WhatsApp users generally need to exchange phone numbers to connect with someone new.
“When someone new walks into your life — a classmate, a neighbor, someone you meet at an event — sharing a phone number can feel like a big step,” the company wrote in a press release. “That’s because a phone number is personal and it’s tied to so many parts of your life. Sometimes you just want to chat without handing over your digits.”
WhatsApp says there will be no username directory or search suggestions. That means people will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time. The company is also adding an optional username key that other users will need to know before messaging you through your username.
Once the feature goes live, if a user has enabled a username, people and businesses they message for the first time will no longer see their phone number.
Meta says it is opening reservations now so people have a better shot at selecting a username they actually want. With billions of users on the platform, there is likely to be plenty of overlap between people who want the same username.
As we know by now, choosing a username isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. Depending on the platform, a poorly chosen username can haunt you for years.
For instance, it was only late last year that Google started allowing people to change their Gmail addresses without having to open a new account from scratch. Before then, some users were stuck with embarrassing or dated addresses they had come up with more than 20 years ago.
Meta says people should choose a unique username that only the people they want to hear from will know. The company also has a username generator for anyone who needs help coming up with one.
For content creators, businesses, and other organizations that want to keep a consistent online presence, Meta says there will be an option to claim an existing Facebook or Instagram username for their WhatsApp account.
To reserve a username, users need to go to the WhatsApp settings menu, select Account, and then tap Username.
The platform will start rolling out usernames gradually over the coming months and will notify users when the feature is available in their country.
