Thekabarnews.com—WhatsApp is getting ready to roll out one of its biggest privacy updates in years. It will feature a username option, letting users message new contacts without giving up their phone number.

The new feature is designed to add a layer of privacy without changing the account registration system in place on the platform. However, the system still requires a valid mobile phone number.

With the feature turned off, when users tap a username, the people they’re contacting for the first time will see the username they chose. Instead of seeing a phone number, they will now see a username.

The update is designed to make conversations more private and give users more control over the personal information they share, WhatsApp says.

The feature could be useful for people who regularly chat with people they don’t know personally. For example, freelancers, online vendors, content creators, professionals, community organizers, and online group members could all benefit.

WhatsApp wants to add the ability to use usernames as a public identifier. This will help reduce the need to share your personal phone number while maintaining the ease of its messaging platform.

To reserve a username, go to Settings > Profile > Username.

On some iPhones, you’ll find it under Profile > Create Username.

If the menu isn’t visible, users will need to wait for WhatsApp to gradually roll it out to their account.

WhatsApp has announced that it is rolling out the username reservation process in stages before the general messaging feature launches.

WhatsApp has established a few rules for creating usernames to keep things consistent, and secure.

To be a valid username:

Contains 3 to 35 characters.
Use lowercase letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), underscores (_) and periods (.)
Must not consist entirely of numbers.
Be unique.
Avoid prohibited words, or phrases.

If someone else has taken the preferred username, WhatsApp will suggest alternative options using a built-in username generator.

WhatsApp is rolling out username-based messaging gradually in the coming months. However, some users in certain regions are already able to reserve handles.

The company says that users will see an in-app notification when the feature is available in their country or region.

The update is part of a broader mission by Meta to tighten privacy across its messaging platforms. Additionally, Meta wants to offer users more flexibility in managing their online identities.

The feature also makes WhatsApp more like other messaging platforms, which let users chat with usernames instead of phone numbers.

Messaging apps are evolving away from personal chats to business communication, online communities, digital marketplaces, and customer service. So privacy is becoming an ever more important consideration.

WhatsApp hopes that by separating a user’s public identity from their personal phone number, it will reduce unwanted contact. At the same time, it will make it easier to connect safely with new people.

Phone numbers will still be needed to set up and verify accounts. But usernames are a significant change in how users identify themselves on the platform.

The new feature is rolling out globally. As WhatsApp continues to roll it out, millions of users will have access to it. This gives them a new way to protect their privacy without changing the familiar messaging experience. As a result, the application remains one of the world’s most widely used communication platforms.