Meta-owned WhatsApp has officially started rolling out global username reservations, introducing one of its most significant privacy-focused updates in years.

The new feature allows users to reserve unique usernames that can eventually be used instead of sharing personal phone numbers when connecting with new contacts.

The announcement marks a major shift in how people will interact on the world’s largest messaging platform, which serves more than three billion users globally. The feature is expected to become available gradually over the coming months, with username reservations opening first before the full messaging functionality is enabled.

A New Layer of Privacy

Until now, WhatsApp users have had to exchange phone numbers before initiating conversations. While the platform has long offered end-to-end encryption, sharing a personal number has remained a privacy concern—particularly when interacting with new acquaintances, businesses, community groups, or event participants.

The new username system changes that by allowing users to share a unique handle instead of their mobile number.

According to WhatsApp, usernames are designed as a privacy feature rather than a social networking identity. Unlike platforms such as Telegram or Instagram, WhatsApp will not maintain a public username directory or recommend usernames through search. Anyone wishing to contact a user must already know their exact username.

Your phone number is secure. You no longer need to share your phone number; you may now use your individual username. There are no suggestions and no public directory; in order to locate you, people must be aware of your precise username. You may change your username immediately in the app,” WhatsApp stated.

You may establish a “username key” to restrict who can message you; anyone who messages you for the first time using your username will need the key to contact you, giving your account an extra layer of security. You can change the key at any time.

Without disclosing your phone number, you may communicate with others on WhatsApp using a username. “You choose your own, and it doesn’t have to match your handle on any other app,” the Mark Zuckerberg-owned platform said in a statement.

It’s a privacy function at its heart, not a social media handle; there’s no directory to explore or suggestions, so users must know your precise username to get in touch with you for the first time, it continued.

How Username Reservations Work

Users who receive access to the feature can reserve a username by updating to the latest version of WhatsApp and navigating to:

Settings → Account → Username (Android)

or through the profile settings on iPhone.

Usernames must be unique and will generally contain between three and thirty-five characters. Once reserved, they can later be used when the broader feature launches globally.

Extra Protection Against Spam

WhatsApp is also introducing an optional username key, an additional privacy mechanism that requires people to know both the username and the user-generated key before initiating contact.

This extra verification aims to reduce unwanted messages and spam while giving users greater control over who can reach them.

Importantly, existing contacts and ongoing chats will continue functioning normally, and users can still choose to share their phone numbers whenever they prefer.

Priority for Brands and Public Figures

Meta has confirmed that businesses, creators, and organizations will be able to claim usernames matching their existing Facebook or Instagram accounts whenever available.

To reduce impersonation risks, usernames associated with celebrities, public figures, and well-known organizations have already been reserved internally before the public rollout.

This approach is intended to protect verified identities while ensuring consistency across Meta’s family of platforms.

Why the Update Matters

Privacy experts have long argued that requiring phone numbers for first-time communication creates unnecessary exposure, particularly in online marketplaces, educational groups, volunteer organizations, and business interactions.

The username system offers users a safer alternative without sacrificing WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.

For businesses, the feature could simplify customer engagement by allowing customers to contact official accounts without needing to save phone numbers.

Industry Perspective

The move also brings WhatsApp closer to competitors like Signal and Telegram, both of which have offered username-based communication for some time.

However, WhatsApp has intentionally taken a more privacy-focused approach by eliminating public username discovery and search functionality, making unsolicited contact significantly more difficult.

Looking Ahead

The global reservation phase has already begun, while the full username messaging experience will roll out later this year in stages. Users will receive an in-app notification once the reservation feature becomes available for their account.

As privacy expectations continue to evolve, WhatsApp’s username initiative represents one of the platform’s biggest identity and security changes since the introduction of end-to-end encryption. If widely adopted, it could fundamentally change how billions of people connect while keeping personal phone numbers private.