WhatsApp Adds Usernames

WhatsApp is adding usernames so people can connect without sharing phone numbers.

You Need to Claim Your WhatsApp Username Right Now

WhatsApp will allow users to go by usernames instead of phone numbers

WhatsApp to let people chat without swapping phone numbers

Summary

Mostly Center

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

WhatsApp says users will soon be able to use unique usernames instead of sharing phone numbers, addressing a long-running privacy gap on the Meta-owned messaging platform. The company has begun letting users reserve names ahead of a global rollout over the next few months or later this year, while still requiring a phone number to create an account. The feature will let people contact one another without exposing their phone numbers, a significant change for an app with roughly 3 billion users. WhatsApp frames the move as a privacy upgrade that brings it closer to other messaging services that already support username-based contact.

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Reserve Your Name

Guides urge WhatsApp users to claim preferred usernames now as reservations open before the feature launches more broadly later this year. The pieces emphasize the likely rush among more than 3 billion users to secure recognizable or desirable handles.