WhatsApp on Monday began allowing its more than three billion users to reserve unique usernames, a structural change that will let people initiate conversations without revealing their phone numbers. The reservation phase, which started on 29 June, precedes a full rollout planned before the end of the year. The move addresses a long-standing friction point: the platform’s identity system has until now been anchored to the phone number, a piece of personal data many users are reluctant to share with strangers, casual acquaintances or large groups.

The mechanism is designed as a privacy layer, not a social-media handle. Once the feature is active, a user who has enabled a username will have that identifier displayed to new contacts instead of their phone number. There will be no public directory, no search function and no algorithmic suggestions; a person must know the exact username to send a first message. An optional username key—a PIN that must be entered by anyone initiating contact—adds a further barrier against unsolicited approaches. The phone number remains mandatory for account creation and verification, but it can now be kept hidden from people outside a user’s saved contacts.

Viewed from different regions, the update brings WhatsApp into line with rivals such as Signal and Telegram, which have long offered number-free identification. The company’s product lead, Alice Newton-Rex, framed it as a response to user demand for greater control, particularly in scenarios such as joining a school parents’ group or messaging a business for the first time. Creators, small businesses and organisations will be able to claim the same username they already use on Instagram or Facebook, preserving brand consistency across Meta’s platforms. To prevent impersonation, usernames associated with public figures, celebrities and government entities are being permanently reserved.

The reservation process is accessed through Settings > Account > Username on the latest version of the app. WhatsApp said the rollout will be gradual over the coming months, with in-app notifications alerting users when the feature becomes available in their country. The next milestone to watch is the full activation of username-based messaging, which the company expects to complete before 2027.