WhatsApp is introducing usernames this week, giving its users a fresh way to connect with people without handing over a personal phone number. A global reservation window has opened, which means the moment to secure the name you actually want is right now, before everyone else gets there first.
How to Find and Set Up Your Username
A notification inside the WhatsApp app will signal when the feature is live on your account. Once it appears, head to Settings, tap Account, and look for the Username tab. Two options await: create a brand-new username from scratch, or import your existing handle from Instagram or Facebook. For anyone drawing a blank, WhatsApp includes a built-in username generator that can throw out suggestions on the spot.
Privacy Is the Entire Point
"Usernames are designed to give you control over who gets to see your phone number in the first place," said Alice Newton-Rex, vice president of Product at WhatsApp. The feature is entirely optional: you pick your own username, you can swap it out or delete it whenever you choose, and there is no requirement to match your handle on any other platform.
WhatsApp has also ensured that no public directory exists for people to browse or search through. Random users cannot scroll a list to discover your account. For anyone wanting an added layer of protection, WhatsApp lets you set a unique four-digit key alongside your username. Anyone trying to reach you must know both pieces before a message can get through.
Will People Actually Use It?
Newton-Rex is optimistic about uptake but honest about what remains uncertain. "I do think that we'll see a lot of adoption, but that's going to be one of the things that we learn as we start rolling it out," she said. She noted that many existing WhatsApp users have already expressed enthusiasm about having a way to keep their number away from strangers they encounter online or in group chats.
How It Compares to Signal and Other Apps
WhatsApp is not claiming to have invented the idea. "Signal usernames are probably a good comparison," Newton-Rex acknowledged. "This will work in a very similar way." Signal launched usernames on its platform in 2024. Other messaging services are exploring their own takes on privacy-first connection: Germ DM, for instance, lets users create "burner cards" so they can engage with different groups of people through separate, distinct identities without blending them together.
Do Not Expect to Claim a Celebrity's Name
If you were hoping to snag a famous person's name, that will not be an option. "The highest-profile names, like public figures or government entities or celebrities, are held," Newton-Rex said. "So they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners." WhatsApp is also blocking look-alike variations of well-known names, so creatively misspelled versions will not work as a workaround either.
Ordinary users do have one early advantage, though. If you already hold a handle on Facebook or Instagram, you get first access to claim that same name on WhatsApp during this reservation period, before the feature rolls out to the broader public and competition for names heats up.
The Reservation Window Will Not Last
As WhatsApp begins its global rollout this week, the pool of available names will shrink steadily. Locking in your preferred username now, while the selection is still wide open, is by far the easiest way to avoid arriving late and finding your first choice already belongs to someone else.
