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New feature will allow adding contacts by username, reducing the need to share phone numbers. Learn how the reservation works, what the rules are, and when the novelty will be available.
WhatsApp started, this Monday (29), the phase of username reservation, a feature that will allow accounts to be identified through a unique name, without the need to share the phone number during conversations. The novelty was presented by the company and will be gradually released to users.
Additionally, the feature brings the app closer to other Meta services, such as Instagram and Facebook, which already use this identification system.
WhatsApp starts offering username
From this initial stage, users will be able to reserve a unique username for the account. However, account creation will still depend on an active phone number.
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Later, when the functionality is fully released, it will be possible to add contacts using only the username. Meanwhile, WhatsApp itself will notify users when the feature is available in their accounts.
According to Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President of Product at WhatsApp, the goal is to expand identification options within the platform.
According to the executive, the phone number is linked to personal aspects of users’ lives, while the username offers an alternative for those who want to join groups or chat without disclosing their phone number.
Privacy is the main highlight of the novelty
Additionally, the main advantage pointed out by WhatsApp is the enhancement of privacy.
With the novelty, users will be able to share only the username instead of the phone number. Still, those who prefer to continue using the phone as identification can do so normally.
Furthermore, WhatsApp informed that the username can be changed, although there are limitations for frequent changes, as a way to prevent abuse.
Contact settings will have two options
At the same time, the platform will provide settings to control who can start conversations using the username.
The announced options are:
- Everyone: anyone who knows the username will be able to find you and start a conversation.
- People who know my key: in addition to the username, it will be necessary to provide a key composed of four numbers, generated by WhatsApp itself.
Thus, the user will be able to choose the desired level of privacy.
Feature may also benefit small businesses
In addition to privacy, WhatsApp claims that the new feature may facilitate the location of small businesses within the platform.
In this sense, using the same Instagram username, for example, may make it easier for customers to identify companies and entrepreneurs.
Telegram has offered a similar feature since 2014
Although it’s new on WhatsApp, the username system has existed on Telegram for more than a decade.
When the feature was launched in 2014, the platform highlighted precisely the possibility of chatting with others without disclosing the phone number.
How to reserve a username on WhatsApp
The reservation process will be carried out via the following path:
Settings → Account → Username
As the implementation will occur gradually, the option will be made available to all users over time.
Additionally, WhatsApp has informed that public figures’ names, including celebrities and politicians, will be protected to prevent them from being registered by third parties.
Integration with Meta’s Account Center may help
During the reservation, users will be able to try to use the same name already used on Instagram or Facebook.
According to WhatsApp, those who already use this identification on Meta’s platforms may have priority in cases of disputes over similar names.
However, for this prioritization to be considered, it will be necessary to add WhatsApp to the Meta Account Center, a tool responsible for integrating the company’s services.
