In a major privacy update for its global network, WhatsApp announced on Monday that it will allow users to connect using unique usernames rather than disclosing their personal phone numbers.
The Meta-owned messaging platform, which has more than 3 billion users worldwide, has opened early handle reservations for companies, organizations, and creators. A wider global rollout is scheduled for later this year.
For years, the application has required users to share their phone numbers to be contacted, allowing anyone with the digits to initiate a conversation.
The upcoming update closes this long existing privacy gap by offering people a new layer of control over who can reach them. Over the coming months, users will gain the option to be found and contacted strictly by their username rather than their mobile number.
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WhatsApp officials emphasized that the update is built strictly around personal security rather than social discovery. The platform will not feature a public directory of handles, or provide any autocomplete search suggestions. To connect with an individual for the first time, a user must already know that person’s exact handle.
“We have designed this as a core privacy feature,” Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, told reporters. “People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time.”
The platform’s current security configurations are limited to blocking specific accounts and silencing calls from unknown numbers.
While users can currently add a profile name to their account, that name only appears in group chats for participants who do not already have that individual’s contact information saved in their device.
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To manage the anticipated demand for desirable online handles, Meta is prioritizing established accounts. Companies, organizations, and content creators who hold existing profiles on Facebook and Instagram are receiving the initial opportunity to claim their matching usernames on WhatsApp.
The unique handles must range between three and 35 characters. To prevent identity theft and bad actors from squatting on high-profile names, WhatsApp announced it will hold back usernames for celebrities, public figures, and government entities.
While standard cellular text messaging remains the preferred method of communication within the United States, WhatsApp serves as the primary digital lifeline across Europe, Asia, and much of the rest of the world. The new handle features will deploy gradually across all compatible devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, while maintaining the application’s standard end-to-end encryption.