WhatsApp opens username reservations before privacy feature rolls out

WhatsApp is preparing to let users connect through usernames instead of phone numbers, a change the company says is meant to make the messaging app more private. The feature is due to start rolling out later this year, but WhatsApp is opening reservations this week so people can claim names before the system goes live.

The company said the change will allow users to keep their phone numbers hidden from people who are not already in their contacts. WhatsApp said users will be told when usernames become available in their country, as the rollout will happen gradually over the coming months.

WhatsApp framed the early reservation period as a way to reduce conflicts over popular names. In its announcement, the company said its service has more than three billion users, which means many people may want the same handle.

How reservations will work

Users can reserve a handle in the latest version of WhatsApp by going to Settings, then Account, then Username, according to WhatsApp. The reservation does not mean the full username feature is active for every user yet; it gives people a chance to secure a name before wider availability.

WhatsApp is also giving individuals and organizations a way to claim handles they already use on Instagram or Facebook, according to The Verge. That measure is intended to reduce impersonation on WhatsApp before usernames become a public way to share contact information.

Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s product head, told The Verge that the company has already set aside usernames for well-known people, including celebrities and politicians, to keep others from claiming them. Users who happen to share a name with a recognized public figure may need to pick a different version of a handle.

Usernames will not be searchable

WhatsApp’s username system will differ from social networks that let people browse or search directories of accounts. The Verge reported that users will need to know a person’s exact username before they can contact them through it.

The privacy change also has limits. If a user has already shared a phone number with someone on WhatsApp, or has appeared in a group chat where that number is visible, enabling a username will not hide the number from those existing contacts, according to The Verge.

That means the protection mainly applies to new conversations created after the feature is enabled. For those chats, WhatsApp says usernames can provide a way to communicate without handing out a phone number first.

WhatsApp is adding another control called an optional username key, according to The Verge. If a user turns it on, other people will need that key in addition to the username before they can send a message, a safeguard meant to limit unwanted contact if a username is shared publicly without permission.

This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.