Overview
- WhatsApp has begun letting people reserve optional usernames in the latest app so they can be contacted without giving out their phone number.
- Users can check Settings → Account → Username to claim a handle, which began rolling out Wednesday and will reach accounts gradually with in‑app notifications.
- Usernames must follow platform rules, reported at three to 35 characters, and WhatsApp will hold certain names for celebrities, VIPs and organizations to prevent easy takeover.
- WhatsApp and experts urge simple, non‑identifying names and warn against including birth years, addresses or workplace details because phone numbers still remain required to create and keep an account.
- The company plans automated detection, contact limits and lookalike blocking to reduce impersonation and spam, and some authorities have signaled they may review the feature’s abuse risks.