WhatsApp to let people chat without swapping phone numbers
BBC News 2026-06-29 16:00:12
Context: WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that allows users to chat with each other without having to share their phone numbers, by exchanging unique usernames instead. This feature, which is being rolled out globally to WhatsApp's three billion account holders over the next few months, is designed to provide users with more privacy and control over their personal information. The feature is part of WhatsApp's efforts to enhance user privacy, although some experts have noted that the platform's overall approach to privacy is limited by its ownership by Meta, a company with a history of collecting user data for marketing purposes.
Key Facts
- WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to reserve a unique username via the app, which can be used to connect with others without sharing phone numbers, and users will be able to remove or change their usernames at any time.
- The feature, which is being introduced to WhatsApp's three billion account holders over the next few months, will allow users to connect with each other after exchanging usernames only, and will still include options to block or report unwanted messages.
- Names will be limited to 35 characters and will be subject to few restrictions, although high-profile officials and celebrities will have their names reserved and not made available to others, to prevent impersonation.
- According to Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's head of product, the feature is designed to give users control over how they choose to show up on the app, and responds to user concerns about not wanting to share their phone numbers in order to be in contact with others.
- The introduction of usernames on WhatsApp follows the implementation of a similar feature on the secure messaging app Signal in 2024, and comes amid ongoing debates about the balance between user privacy and data collection for marketing purposes on social media platforms.