WhatsApp opens username reservations as it moves to let users drop phone numbers

WhatsApp began accepting username reservations on Monday 29 June, allowing users of the Meta-owned platform to claim a unique handle ahead of a broader rollout later this year that will let them be found and contacted without revealing their phone numbers.

The change, described by the company as one of its biggest privacy updates to date, addresses a gap that rival messaging apps closed years ago. WhatsApp, used by more than three billion people, has until now required users to share their phone number to be contactable on the app. Telegram introduced usernames in 2014, Signal began testing them in 2023, and Wire has offered them since 2016.

The platform said it has begun letting users reserve unique usernames before a wider rollout later this year, when people will be able to choose to be found and contacted only by their handles.

How it works

WhatsApp said the change was designed as a core privacy feature with no public directory of usernames and no autocomplete suggestions, meaning users will need to know someone's exact username to reach them for the first time.

"We have designed this as a core privacy feature," Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's vice president of product, told reporters. "People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time," she said.

The number-first model is being loosened, though not entirely eliminated. People will still need a phone number to register and use WhatsApp.

Existing chats and contacts will continue to work normally using current phone numbers.

WhatsApp is also introducing an optional Username Key. Users who enable the feature can require others to know both their username and a unique key before they can send an initial message. Users can update or change this key whenever they choose, giving them greater control over who can contact them.

Rules and reservations

Usernames are subject to strict rules. They must contain between three and 35 characters, include at least one letter, and may only contain lowercase letters, numbers, periods and underscores.

The company said the reservation process exists because of scale: with more than three billion users, significant username overlap is inevitable without an early claim period.

The feature is being introduced gradually, meaning not every user will see the option immediately. WhatsApp said users will receive an in-app notification once username reservations become available in their region, while the full feature will roll out over the coming months. Those who receive access can reserve a username by updating WhatsApp to the latest version and navigating to Settings, then Account, then Username.

To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp will hold back usernames for high-profile people or groups, such as celebrities, public figures and government entities. Companies, organisations and creators with existing accounts on Meta's social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook, will get the chance to claim their usernames on WhatsApp.

New leadership, new direction

The rollout is the first major product move under WhatsApp's new leadership, with Kunal Shah — the CRED founder who replaced Will Cathcart last week — now overseeing the platform's direction. Shah was named the new global head of WhatsApp, effective 22 June 2026.

WhatsApp's current privacy settings are limited to blocking individual users and silencing unknown callers. The app also allows users to add a profile name, but that is only displayed in chat groups for other people who do not have the user's contact info saved. The username feature will extend those controls significantly once fully live.

While people in the United States still prefer text messaging to WhatsApp, the app is widely used in Europe, Asia and much of the rest of the world — including across the Middle East and North Africa, where the platform is the dominant messaging tool for personal, community and business communication.