Hundreds of millions of people who use the Meta-owned messenger WhatsApp to chat with family, friends, or businesses will no longer need to share their phone numbers. The company announced this update on Monday.
Instead, people will be able to pick unique usernames to share with others. WhatsApp said this move is designed to protect the privacy of your phone number.
Restricting access to phone numbers means they will not be shared automatically in situations like being added to a large group chat or messaging a person or business for the first time.
The company added that there is no directory to browse and no suggestions, so people must know your exact username to contact you.
As with other social media services, the sheer number of people using the platform—which Meta claims is over three billion—means many may not get their first choice of handle.
The company said it would gradually roll out username reservations worldwide over the coming months and will notify users in each country when the feature is available.
Meanwhile, creators, small businesses, and organizations will be allowed to claim the same WhatsApp usernames that they already use on fellow Meta products, Facebook or Instagram.
