WhatsApp has begun rolling out its long-awaited username feature, allowing users to reserve a unique username ahead of the wider launch later this year.
According to an in-app announcement shared by users, conversations that previously began with “What’s your number?” could soon shift to “What’s your WhatsApp?” as usernames become available.
Users can reserve their preferred username by navigating to Settings > Account > Username in the latest version of the app, where the feature has started appearing for eligible accounts.
The move is expected to enhance privacy by enabling people to connect on WhatsApp without having to share their phone numbers in many situations.
The feature is being released in phases, meaning it may not yet be available to all users. WhatsApp has said usernames will launch more broadly later this year.
“Once we launch usernames, when you message a person or business for the first time they will no longer see your phone number, if you enabled your username. Reserving your optional username takes just a few seconds on the latest version of WhatsApp — go to Settings > Account > Username. We’ll be rolling out usernames gradually over the coming months and will notify you in WhatsApp when they’re available in your country” META said. (Newswire)