WhatsApp to Finally Introduce Usernames with Handle Reservations

For years, WhatsApp has been criticized for being slow to evolve compared to its rivals, but a long-awaited feature may finally be on the horizon: usernames. Unlike today, where every account is bound tightly to a phone number, Meta is now preparing to roll out a system that lets people connect using unique handles – a move that could dramatically change how the world’s largest messaging app works.

Evidence of this feature surfaced in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, where testers discovered an option to reserve a username.

This means users could soon lock in their preferred handle before the feature is officially released worldwide. The rollout is expected to be gradual, so reserving early will prevent others from snapping up popular nicknames, a step that also helps fight impersonation and brand squatting.

Currently, WhatsApp’s phone-number-only system is both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. On the one hand, it makes finding people easy and straightforward. You simply add someone’s number, and you’re instantly connected. But this simplicity comes at a cost: sharing a personal phone number with strangers can be a privacy risk, and changing numbers often creates headaches for users who must reintroduce themselves to contacts or risk losing connections. Username support solves both problems by giving users a layer of separation between their real-world identity and their messaging profile.

WhatsApp’s competitors have long embraced usernames. Telegram, for example, lets users choose public handles and even generate t.me links, making it easier to share contact details without exposing phone numbers. Signal offers a similar privacy-focused setup. Even Apple’s iMessage allows connections through an email address, underscoring how far behind WhatsApp has been in this department. The introduction of usernames is, therefore, not just a new feature but also Meta’s attempt to close a gap that has existed for over a decade.

Why has it taken so long? The answer may lie in scale. WhatsApp has over 3 billion monthly active users – a staggering number that makes implementing even a small feature an engineering challenge. Ensuring a smooth transition without disrupting communication requires enormous planning, testing, and infrastructure. Allowing users to reserve usernames ahead of time could make the transition less chaotic, as it reduces disputes over desirable handles and prepares the system for gradual adoption.

For long-time users, this change represents more than just convenience. It’s a shift toward giving people greater control over their digital identities and privacy on a platform that dominates global messaging. While we don’t yet have a timeline for the full rollout, one thing is clear: usernames on WhatsApp are coming, and for many, it’s about time.