SEOUL – The hundreds of millions who use Meta-owned messenger WhatsApp to chat with family, friends or businesses will no longer need to share phone numbers under a coming update, the company says. Instead, people will be able to pick unique usernames to share with others, in a move “designed to protect the privacy of your phone number,” WhatsApp says in a statement. Restricting access to phone numbers would mean they are not shared automatically in cases such as being added to a large group chat or messaging person or business for the first time, the company adds. What’s more, “there’s no directory to browse and no suggestions, so people need to know your exact username to contact you,” Meta says. As with other social media services, the sheer number of people — Meta claims over three billion — using WhatsApp means many may not get their first choice of handle. The company says it will gradually roll out username reservations worldwide “over the coming months,” notifying users in each country when they open there. Meanwhile “creators, small businesses and organizations” will be allowed to claim WhatsApp usernames that they already use on fellow Meta products Facebook or Instagram. Once it is fully activated, WhatsApp users will be able to connect after exchanging usernames only. There will still be options to block or report unwanted messages. Names will be limited to 35 characters and there will be few restrictions, with the exception of some high profile officials and celebrities whose names will not be made available to anyone else.
So it’s unlikely WhatsApp will be overrun with users calling themselves Donald Trump, for example. The Meta-owned firm described usernames as a privacy feature.
The secure messaging app Signal introduced an identical service in 2024. “It is a good feature, but even if it does offer more privacy, remember WhatsApp is not a privacy-friendly app overall,” said Carisa Veliz, a professor at Oxford University and author of Privacy is Power.
“It collects much metadata about users for marketing purposes.
“We have to remember that WhatsApp is owned by Meta – one of the tech companies with the worst track records when it comes to privacy.” WhatsApp does not use the content of private chats for advertising. Those are protected by end-to-end-encryption, meaning the firm cannot read the contents of messages. But it does use data – such as who you message and when – to support advertising. Once the feature is fully rolled out, individual phone numbers will no longer be visible on WhatsApp. There will be no public username directory, and phone numbers will still be required in order to have a WhatsApp account in the first place.
The minimum age for using the platform is 13, and messaging apps will not be included in the UK’s upcoming social media ban for under 16 year olds, due to be implemented next year. It recently announced Kunal Shah, the founder of an Indian fintech start-up, would be taking over as head of the platform – with Will Cathcart stepping down after seven years in the role.