WhatsApp Adds Usernames to Keep Your Phone Number Private.
WhatsApp will finally launch a long-awaited privacy feature that will allow users to display their username instead of their phone number, which will remain hidden from other users. This feature has been in development for over a year, and little is known about its functionality or release date. While it’s not yet available to all users, we now know a little more about how it will work.
According to WABetaInfo (and as reported by 9to5Google ), WhatsApp plans to gradually roll out usernames to a very limited number of accounts. This means you may not have access to this update yet, but you should consider upgrading to it once it becomes available.
How to add a username on WhatsApp
Once the username creation feature becomes widely available, you’ll see the option in your WhatsApp profile settings (go to “Settings” and tap your name and profile photo). In the pop-up window, you can choose to create a WhatsApp username or select an existing Facebook or Instagram username. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has several rules for new usernames:
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Usernames can only contain lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores.
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Usernames must contain at least one letter.
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Usernames cannot start with “www.” or end with a domain name (e.g. .com).
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Usernames must be between 3 and 35 characters long.
WhatsApp usernames must also be available on other Meta platforms—so even if a username appears available on WhatsApp, you won’t be able to select it if someone else is using it on Facebook or Instagram. If you already have a username on one of the latter platforms, consider the potential privacy implications of having your accounts easily identifiable on different platforms before linking that same username to WhatsApp.
In addition to your WhatsApp username, you can also set a four-digit code that other users will need to enter when they first message you. Username keys allow you to restrict communication to trusted contacts.