WhatsApp introduces usernames so users can connect without sharing phone numbers, with reservations opening now ahead of a wider rollout later this year.
Millions of users of Meta-owned messenger WhatsApp will now no longer need to share phone numbers, the company announced on Monday, adding that each user will be able to pick unique usernames to share with others.
According to a statement, “Your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over, that’s why we’re introducing usernames for WhatsApp.”
your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over. that’s why we’re introducing usernames for WhatsApp.
starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure…
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) June 29, 2026
“Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp and then go to Settings > Account > Username,” it stated.
AFP quoted the company saying that restricting access to phone numbers would mean they are not shared automatically in cases such as being added to a large group chat or messaging a person or business for the first time.
What’s more, “there’s no directory to browse and no suggestions, so people need to know your exact username to contact you,” Meta said.
The company added that it would gradually roll out this new feature worldwide “over the coming months”, notifying users in each country when they open there.
This comes days after Meta named Indian fintech firm CRED’s founder Kunal Shah as the new global head of WhatsApp, marking one of the most prominent appointments of an Indian entrepreneur in the global technology sector.