Meta starts rolling out WhatsApp usernames, letting users hide phone numbers when messaging for the first time

Meta is preparing to add a new layer of identity and privacy to WhatsApp by letting users reserve a username that they can use to connect without sharing their phone number. In a newsroom post published June 29, the company said usernames are aimed at everyday moments when exchanging digits feels like an overstep, such as meeting a classmate, a neighbor, or someone at an event and wanting to chat without immediately handing over personal contact information.

Meta said it is opening username reservations “starting this week,” with the actual WhatsApp username feature planned for later this year. The company noted that WhatsApp has more than three billion users, which increases the likelihood of name collisions, so it is asking people to reserve early so they have a better chance to secure a name they want.

For most users, Meta said selecting a WhatsApp username should result in a handle that is unique and known primarily to the people they want to contact. The company also described tools to help users generate a username, including a “username generator” designed to suggest options that fit a user’s preferences.

Meta added that the company is also reserving an option for users who want a consistent presence, including creators, small businesses, and organizations. Those accounts will be able to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp, according to Meta, which would allow people who already manage recognizable social handles to carry that identity over to the messaging platform.

A key design choice, Meta said, is that WhatsApp usernames will not be searchable through a directory. There will be no browsing and no suggestions, meaning people will generally need to know an exact username to initiate contact for the first time. Meta also said it has built an optional “username key,” which others would need to know in order to message a user who has enabled it.

Once usernames launch, Meta said, when someone messages a person or business for the first time, that contact will no longer automatically see the recipient’s phone number, provided the recipient has enabled their username. Meta’s newsroom post did not specify timing for each country beyond a gradual rollout, but it said it will notify users in WhatsApp when usernames are available in their country.

The reservation process is positioned as quick and accessible. Meta said reserving an optional username takes just a few seconds in the latest version of WhatsApp, with instructions in the app at Settings, then Account, then Username.

In terms of product strategy, the update fits into a broader emphasis on privacy controls for messaging. WhatsApp already limits how users can be found and contacted through various settings, and Meta’s latest change shifts the initial point of contact away from phone numbers toward a more configurable identity marker. By design, the feature reduces the situations where users feel pressured to share personal digits simply to join a conversation or start a discussion.

What remains unclear from Meta’s announcement is how username key usage will work in practice for different account types, whether businesses have any special messaging limits tied to username adoption, and what happens in edge cases such as users who do not enable usernames or users who contact someone through other WhatsApp discovery methods. The company also did not provide a detailed timeline for the feature beyond saying it will roll out gradually and that users will be notified when it is available in their country.

For WhatsApp users, the immediate action is reservations, with Meta directing people to check the Username option in app settings. For observers, the next thing to watch is the rollout pace and whether messaging initiation behavior changes consistently across countries and account categories, especially around whether phone numbers remain visible when usernames are enabled.