WhatsApp has introduced a long-awaited feature enabling users to share profiles without revealing their mobile numbers.
The messaging service states that usernames will be introduced to allow people to connect without disclosing phone numbers, although a phone number will still be required to register an account.
The feature has been in development for several years, and details of its use have now been made public.
From today, the company will allow users to reserve usernames ahead of a wider rollout later in the year. Usernames may contain between 3 and 35 characters.
The company has stated that priority reservation will be given to celebrities, public figures and organisations. Other users will be free to select usernames provided they comply with platform policies. Businesses and creators may also align their WhatsApp usernames with those used on Facebook and Instagram.
Once available in a country, users will receive a notification enabling them to reserve a username through Settings, under Account and Username. An additional option will allow the creation of a username key, required for contact initiation.
The company has stated that the reservation system is intended to prevent duplication across its user base of more than three billion accounts. Usernames will not be searchable, and only those aware of the exact username will be able to make contact. Users will retain the ability to change or disable the feature.
Speaking in a briefing, Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President and Head of Product at WhatsApp, said the feature is designed to give users greater control over personal contact details.
At present, usernames must be shared directly, either verbally or via text message, with no QR code function available for contact sharing.
Competing messaging platforms including Telegram Telegram, Signal Signal, and Wire Wire have supported username-based systems for several years.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, is now introducing the feature after a period of leadership changes within the company.
