---
title: "WhatsApp Adds Usernames, Letting People Chat Without Sharing Phone Numbers"
description: "WhatsApp says its roughly three billion users will soon be able to message one another using a chosen username instead of a phone number — the most significant privacy change in the app's history, and one that finally brings it in line with rivals like Signal and Telegram."
category: "Business"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/business
author: "Arman Petrosyan"
published: 2026-06-30T09:48:00.000Z
updated: 2026-06-30T09:48:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/whatsapp-adds-usernames-letting-people-chat-without-sharing-phone-numbers
tags: ["WhatsApp", "Meta", "privacy", "messaging", "usernames", "technology"]
---
# WhatsApp Adds Usernames, Letting People Chat Without Sharing Phone Numbers

WhatsApp says its roughly three billion users will soon be able to message one another using a chosen username instead of a phone number — the most significant privacy change in the app's history, and one that finally brings it in line with rivals like Signal and Telegram.

The phone number has always been WhatsApp's front door — and, for spammers and strangers, its weak point. That is about to change.

## What's launching

WhatsApp said users can begin reserving unique usernames now, with the ability to actually message by username rolling out later this year, [the Associated Press reported](https://abcnews.com/Technology/wireStory/whatsapp-users-usernames-phone-numbers-closing-privacy-blind-134314299). The change lets people start and receive conversations without exposing their mobile number to a new contact. "We have designed this as a core privacy feature," WhatsApp product chief Alice Newton-Rex said in the company's announcement; a stranger will need to know your exact handle to reach you.

## How it works

Setting a username lives in the app's account settings. Handles run 3 to 35 characters and allow lowercase letters, numbers, periods and underscores, but must include at least one letter — purely numeric handles and web-style addresses are blocked. Crucially, WhatsApp says there is no public directory to browse and no way to search for people: someone must already know your exact username to message you, [TechRadar reported](https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/whatsapp-just-opened-username-reservations-for-three-billion-people-heres-how-to-claim-your-handle-before-its-taken). Existing chats are unaffected, and users can keep sharing their number with people they trust.

## An extra lock

WhatsApp is pairing usernames with an optional "username key" — a secondary PIN-style code a new contact must supply along with the handle before a first message goes through. It works like a two-factor gate: even if someone finds your username, they cannot reach your inbox without the key. Users who want maximum control can switch it on; those who prefer convenience can leave it off.

## Why Meta is doing it — and the limits

Because WhatsApp accounts are tied to phone numbers, anyone who has your number can message you, an obvious vector for spam, scams and harassment; usernames are meant to close that gap, and to blunt risks like SIM-swap fraud. The move also catches WhatsApp up to competitors — Signal added usernames in 2024, and Telegram has long allowed handle-based contact. But it is not full anonymity: a valid phone number is still required to create an account, and Meta continues to collect metadata about who messages whom and when. Security researchers have also cautioned that pseudonymous handles can aid impersonators; WhatsApp says it will reserve usernames for public figures and government bodies, and give existing Instagram and Facebook account holders priority to claim matching handles. The rollout is phased, with an in-app notice when it reaches each country.

## Sources

- [WhatsApp will let users go by usernames instead of phone numbers](https://abcnews.com/Technology/wireStory/whatsapp-users-usernames-phone-numbers-closing-privacy-blind-134314299)
- [WhatsApp opens username reservations for its users](https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/whatsapp-just-opened-username-reservations-for-three-billion-people-heres-how-to-claim-your-handle-before-its-taken)