WhatsApp lets users chat without sharing phone numbers in bid to boost privacy

WhatsApp is introducing usernames, allowing people to chat without sharing their phone numbers.

The feature will roll out to the platform's three billion users over the coming months, with the option to reserve a unique username in the app starting Monday.

According to BBC, choosing a username will be optional, and users can change or remove it at any time.

Once fully rolled out, people who connect using usernames will be able to message each other without revealing their phone numbers.

WhatsApp said its existing safety features, including the ability to block and report contacts, will remain unchanged.

According to ABC News, usernames will be limited to 35 characters, with only minimal restrictions on what users can choose.

However, the names of some high-profile public figures and celebrities will be reserved to prevent impersonation and username squatting, the practice of claiming names associated with well-known people or brands in bad faith.

WhatsApp said the feature is designed to improve privacy.

The app's head of product, Alice Newton-Rex, said the update addresses situations where users do not want to share their phone numbers, particularly in group chats.

She said the new feature will "give users control over how they choose to show up" on the platform.

The move follows a similar update by secure messaging app Signal, which introduced usernames in 2024.

However, some privacy experts have urged users to remain cautious.

Carissa Véliz, a professor at Oxford and author of Privacy Is Power, welcomed the feature but argued that WhatsApp is "not a privacy-friendly app overall."

She told ABC News that Meta-owned WhatsApp still collects metadata, such as who users message and when. While the contents of private chats remain protected by end-to-end encryption and are not used for targeted advertising, that metadata can still be used for other purposes, including advertising.

WhatsApp said phone numbers will no longer be visible through the app once usernames are fully implemented.

There will be no public directory of usernames, and users will still need a phone number to create an account.

The platform's minimum age remains 13, while messaging apps are exempt from the UK's planned restrictions on social media use by under-16s, which are expected to take effect next year.

Separately, WhatsApp recently announced that Kunal Shah, founder of an Indian fintech start-up, will become the platform's new head. He succeeds Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after seven years in the role.