Meta has just dropped a pretty massive update for WhatsApp, announcing that you can finally claim a unique username.
The big perk here is that you will soon be able to chat with people without ever having to hand over your actual phone number.
If you want to secure your name, you need the latest version of the app starting this week and go to Settings > Account > Username. The feature itself won’t be fully up and running until later this year, but Meta is opening up reservations early for a very practical reason. With over three billion people using WhatsApp these days, the scramble for the best usernames is going to be intense, so they want to give everyone a fair shot at getting theirs.
Crucially, this is all about privacy rather than making it easier for random strangers to find you. There is not going to be a public, searchable directory, and WhatsApp is not going to start recommending your username to other people. If someone wants to message you for the first time using your username, they will need to know the exact spelling beforehand.
To add an extra layer of defence against spam and random messages, Meta is also working on an optional username key. Think of it as a passcode that someone needs to know before they can even send you that first text. They have not dove into the technical nitty-gritty of how it works just yet, but it should do wonders for keeping unwanted notifications out of your inbox.
If you are staring at the screen wondering what name to pick, WhatsApp has built in a generator that suggests available alternatives. For creators and businesses, Meta is making life simple by letting you grab the exact same username you already use on Instagram or Facebook, keeping your branding consistent across the board.
This username feature is completely optional, so you can easily stick to just using your phone number like normal. Anyone who already has your number saved will not notice a difference either. The rollout is going to be a gradual process over the next few months depending on where you live, and WhatsApp will ping you an in-app notification as soon as it lands in your region.