WhatsApp to let users hide phone numbers behind usernames
Meta’s messaging app says the change will let users reserve unique handles and limit first contact by phone number as part of a privacy update.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
WhatsApp plans to let users identify themselves with usernames instead of phone numbers, a privacy shift that could change how billions of people share contact details on the messaging app. The Meta-owned platform said Monday that some users can already reserve handles, with a wider release due later this year, according to Al Jazeera and The Associated Press.
WhatsApp says it is used in more than 180 countries and 60 languages. The company said the change is meant to give users more control over who can find and contact them, after years of scrutiny of privacy practices at WhatsApp and parent company Meta.
What is changing
Under the planned system, users will be able to replace the phone number shown to others with a unique username. WhatsApp said people will be able to choose whether they can be found and contacted through that handle rather than by their number.
Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, told reporters the company designed usernames as a core privacy feature, according to Al Jazeera and AP. WhatsApp said the update is aimed at situations where people may want to start a conversation without giving out a personal phone number.
The company said there will be no public directory of usernames and no autocomplete suggestions. That means someone trying to make contact for the first time will need the exact username, according to WhatsApp.
How handles will work
WhatsApp said usernames must be between three and 35 characters. Some companies, organisations and creators that already use Instagram or Facebook will be able to claim the same names on WhatsApp, according to the company.
To reduce impersonation risks, WhatsApp said it will reserve some names tied to well-known people and institutions, including celebrities, public figures and government entities. The company did not give a full list of restricted names.
Users who are able to reserve a handle must use the latest version of the app on a smartphone. WhatsApp said the option will appear under Settings, then Account, then Username. Reservations cannot be made through WhatsApp Web or the desktop app.
Spam and scam controls
WhatsApp also said it has added protections intended to limit unwanted contact. In a response to a user on X, the company said multiple new features are meant to help people protect themselves from scammers.
One option will let users add a username key, a short numbered code that others must know along with the username before making contact. WhatsApp said it will also cap how many new people a single account can contact, a measure aimed at spam accounts.
The company said its systems can detect and block abuse patterns. It did not provide detailed figures on how many accounts may be affected by the limits.
When users will see it
WhatsApp said the username feature will be introduced gradually over the coming months. It has not announced country-by-country dates, but said users will receive a WhatsApp notification when the feature becomes available where they live.
The company advised users to keep the app updated while they wait for access. Current privacy tools on WhatsApp include blocking individual accounts and silencing calls from unknown numbers, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.