Meta Rolls Out Usernames Feature on WhatsApp to Let Users Hide Phone Numbers
WhatsApp has begun rolling out an optional, highly anticipated privacy feature that allows users to connect with others using unique usernames instead of sharing their personal phone numbers. This feature is designed to allow individuals to communicate securely without exposing their mobile numbers, making it particularly useful for interacting in community groups, business transactions, online marketplaces, or temporary chats with strangers. Once configured, a user’s selected handle will act as their primary public identifier in new chats, meaning that individuals who initiate conversations via usernames will only see the selected handle, leaving the underlying linked phone number completely hidden.
Setting up a username is a straightforward, optional process. Users must first navigate to WhatsApp Settings, select their profile section, and tap on the new “Username” option once it becomes available on their device. To secure a handle, the name must meet specific guidelines: it must be between 3 to 30 characters long, include at least one letter, and consist only of lowercase letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), periods (.), and underscores (_). To prevent scamming and confusion, usernames cannot start with “www.”, cannot end with commercial web domains like “.com” or “.net”, and cannot contain consecutive periods or begin/end with a period. Each username must be entirely unique, and once WhatsApp verifies its availability, it can be saved to mask the user’s phone number for any upcoming chat discoveries.
