WhatsApp has begun letting users reserve a unique username ahead of a feature that will eventually let people chat without sharing their phone numbers.
According to Techmeme citing 9to5Mac, the company started rolling out username reservations worldwide on June 29, allowing people to claim a name before the full feature goes live. Multiple outlets, including the BBC, The Verge and Engadget, report that usernames themselves will launch later this year, with the BBC noting the rollout will happen globally over the coming months.
The point of the change is privacy. As the BBC and Engadget describe it, usernames will give people a way to add contacts and start conversations without handing over their phone number. Wired suggests that even people who use WhatsApp only occasionally may want to claim a username now, to avoid giving out their number later. 9to5Mac, via Techmeme, characterizes the addition as a privacy-focused feature that has been anticipated for years.
There is some inconsistency in the reported rules. TechCrunch published two versions of its story, one stating a WhatsApp username can be between 3 and 40 characters and another giving a range of 3 to 35 characters. The exact limit is therefore unclear from the available reporting.
Reserving a name early matters because usernames are typically unique and first-come, first-served, meaning the handle you want may not be available once the feature is widely live.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is among the world's most used messaging apps, so a shift away from phone numbers as the primary identifier could change how billions of people share contact details and protect their privacy.