With the new change, users can choose to be found and contacted only by username, without revealing their number. WhatsApp, which has over 3 billion users worldwide, said this is a feature designed to increase privacy.
While Americans continue to prefer traditional SMS messaging to WhatsApp, the app is widely used in Europe, Asia and much of the world. Interesting and unique usernames are expected to be in high demand, so many people may try to secure the most desired names. For this reason, the company has opened reservations earlier. According to WhatsApp’s vice president of product, Alice Newton-Rex, many people will want to get a unique username, which is why the company decided to start the reservation process.
Companies, organizations, and content creators who have accounts on Meta platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, will also be able to get their usernames on WhatsApp. Usernames will have to be between 3 and 35 characters long. To prevent scams and impersonations, WhatsApp will reserve certain names for well-known people or institutions, such as public figures, celebrities, and government organizations. The company emphasizes that there will be no public list of usernames, and users will not see suggestions when searching. To contact someone for the first time, they will need to know their exact username.