WhatsApp

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@iamrakeshbansal you don’t have to! usernames are totally optional so if you don’t want to use one, nothing will change for you

I don’t want to create a username on WhatsApp. I just want my WhatsApp to stay personal — only for my close friends & family, not discoverable by anyone. Phone number is enough. What if I don’t make one?

@simplytee23 no, you’ll have to know someone’s exact username to contact them as there is no directory or suggestions. users can also enable a username key that you’ll have to know to reach out for additional privacy

So basically??? Someone can just search your username on whatsapp and text you??

⁠⁠usernames is a new way to connect with someone on WhatsApp without giving away your phone number. when you meet someone new - a classmate, a neighbor, someone you meet at an event - sharing a phone number can feel like a big step. it's an optional feature designed to give you control over how you show up in the app and who gets to see your phone number.

What is the benefit of a WhatsApp username if the unique identifier is a phone number?

@henry58290 username reservations are open and available globally, make sure you're using the latest version of the app and go to Settings > Profile > Username (trying tapping the gray area near your profile pic to get to your profile too) and you should see it!

I’m really frustrated with WhatsApp. I’m a WhatsApp Plus subscriber but I still haven’t gotten access to the WhatsApp username feature. Have you gotten access to the WhatsApp username yet?

usernames is an optional feature designed to give you control over who gets to see your phone number. for example, when you meet someone new - a classmate, a neighbor, someone you meet at an event - sharing a phone number can feel like a big step, so if you have a username, you can give them that instead.

I reserved my username on WhatsApp but I am a bit confused about the use-case of usernames on WhatsApp

not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions in the app, so people would need your exact username to contact you. there's also an optional key for added privacy, and if enabled, people would need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most privacy, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.

Since WhatsApp has usernames now, does that mean someone can search for your username, find you and send you a message?

not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions in the app, so someone would need to know your exact username to contact you. there's also an optional key for added privacy, so if enabled, someone would need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most private option, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.

So, with this WhatsApp username, does it mean anyone can now message you on WhatsApp if they know or guess your username, even without having your phone number?

well-known names - like public figures, celebrities and Meta-verified accounts - are held so only their legitimate owners can claim them. no one will be able to reserve a well-known celebrity's name and try to sell it back to them. additionally, existing Facebook and Instagram usernames are reserved for their owners during the reservation period so only you can claim yours..

People have started reserving other people’s WhatsApp usernames just so they can sell them back later. We are officially entering the era of digital land grabbing. Your username is becoming an asset, and if you wait too long, someone else might own the name you wanted. The internet never stops creating new hustles. Which Celeb/Idolo will you be reserving their WhatsApp username?

@TechnovityTech to protect against impersonation, we’ve held well-known names and some of their variations - like public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts - so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners.

If Apple is not on WhatsApp, then who the hell stole these username?? 😭

@thinkspeak37986 if someone connects with you by username, they will not be able to access your phone number

@WhatsApp Can someone see a phone number when they find a person's username ?

Username reservations are here, as more and more people claim theirs, here’s answers to the top questions you’re asking ⬇️ Q: Are usernames mandatory? A: Nope, they are optional. Q: What if the username I want isn’t available? A: There’s a few reasons you might not be able to reserve the username you want: 1) It’s an existing Instagram or Facebook username; these are reserved for their owners. 2) We’ve held well-known names and some variations of them - like public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta-verified accounts - so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners. If you try to reserve those, the system will say it’s not available. 3) Someone already claimed a common name, in that case use the username generator. Q: What if someone creates a username similar to mine to impersonate me or run a scam, how do you stop someone from pretending to be me? A: Usernames are not available for messaging yet. When they are, and you get a message from someone new, we’ll let you know the country origin, and a warning for first time outreach. Well-known public-figure names and their variations are held for verified owners. We’re also keeping a close eye on blocks and reports to take action against scammers. Q: Can random people message me if they know or guess my username? A: Just like you can’t search for a phone number in WhatsApp, you can’t search for a username. The best way to prevent someone from contacting you is to add a username key and to choose a username that is unique to WhatsApp. All the current measures remain in place to prevent unwanted contact, including warnings with details about unknown senders (whether they're a new account, if you share groups, what country they're in) and the ability to block and report. Q: What is a username key? A: An extra layer of protection you can enable with your username, so that another user will have to know both your username and your username key to contact you. You can reset your key at any time to stop new inbound contact through your username. Q: Do I have to link my other Meta accounts? A: If you want the same username as your Instagram or Facebook account, you’ll have to link them. This one of the ways to reduce impersonation and to make sure you’re the legitimate owner of the account. But after that, you can unlink the account if you want, or you can choose a username unique to WhatsApp. Q: Can I change my username later? A: Yes, as long as the new one you want is available. A few more things to keep in mind... People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames - this isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names. We enabled reservations before usernames launch later this year because we think people will feel strongly about what username they want on WhatsApp. We’re taking our time and listening to feedback so that when it rolls out later this year we get it right.

@salmanhaider987 you're making moves

@WhatsApp Whole X, was talking about whatsapp username since yesterday. Thanks for the detailed clarification. I reserved mine already and loving it

@ctoLarsson high-profile names are held so only legitimate owners can claim them and our systems detect and remove impersonation patterns. additionally, creators, small businesses, and organizations can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp.

@WhatsApp How do deal with scammers who will no doubt reserve famous usernames (with registered trademarks) and try to scam people the second you launch through impersonation scams?

your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over. that's why we're introducing usernames for WhatsApp. starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp and then go to Settings > Account > Username.

we’ve built multiple layers of defense against scams into usernames: the optional username key limits who can reach you with your username and unlike Telegram, they need to know the exact username to message you. we will rate limit how many new people any account can contact, block on repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and have systems to detect and remove other activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns.

WhatsApp just launched usernames. My first thought wasn’t privacy - it was scams. The biggest reason I never used Telegram was because anyone could contact you without knowing your phone number. It became a paradise for scammers. Phone numbers created accountability. You knew who was contacting you and had a number to report to the authorities. Usernames improve privacy but they also reduce accountability - and that’s exactly what scammers love. I hope WhatsApp has built much stronger anti-spam systems, otherwise this could become their biggest headache.

not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions, so people need your exact username to contact you. we also built an optional key for added privacy, if enabled people will need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most privacy, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.

This makes sense though. But does that mean anyone with your username can just randomly text you ??

@techdroider there is no directory or suggestions - you’ll have to know someone’s exact username to contact them and users can also enable a username key that you’ll have to know to reach out

WhatsApp usernames sounded like a great idea... ...until you realize anyone can search your username and start messaging you.

@kanthify that’s fine! usernames are optional and if you don’t want to use one, nothing changes for you

We are on WhatsApp because we want only those who know our numbers to contact us ra eddi ga 🤦🏻‍♀️

usernames are our latest step to give our users more private options for how they show up in the app. it’s entirely optional and most users will choose unique usernames, but we're mindful that some people want consistency in how they show up across apps. there's no directory to browse and no suggestions, and if you enable the username key, no one can reach out to you via usernames unless they also have the key. just like today, if someone new messages you, you'll see if they're a new account, in your contacts, if you share groups, or if they're based in a different country, and you are always in control of adding, blocking, or reporting them.

This new WhatsApp usernames feature should scare anyone. On most social media apps we try to get a username that matches our real name. It's a flex if we can grab one. On WhatsApp it will be a privacy nightmare if we do that. Anyone can search for the name and directly reach our WhatsApp inbox/feed without ever needing our phone number. So best to never use our real name on that platform, ever!

we built usernames to give our users more private options for how they show up in the app, and it’s entirely optional. most users will choose unique usernames but we’re mindful that some businesses or people might want consistency in how they show up across apps. your username has nothing to do with ads and there is no directory or suggestions - you’ll have to know someone’s exact username, and if they enable a username key, you’ll also have to know that to reach out. this is rolling out slowly and we’re taking our time to get it right and listen to feedback.

This is a colossal data harvesting and data pooling scheme - Meta’s objective is to get you to link social accounts across WhatsApp and Instagram, to move the needle on ad targeting and thus improve engagement and revenues. They are playing on consumers’ FOMO to quickly grab the username of choice. Clever.

@TalBeerySec username reservations are rolling out throughout the week, so make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp downloaded and keep an eye on your app

@WhatsApp It seems not rolled out yet. If someone was able to actually do it, please reply with a screenshot as proof