Highlights
- WhatsApp, one of the most widely used internet texting platforms has a great new feature for the users.
- This feature will allow users to hide their phone numbers and instead utilise a username.
- The username feature is already present in platforms like Telegram and Instagram.
Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks

WhatsApp, one of the most widely used internet texting platforms has a great new feature for the users. This feature will allow users to hide their phone numbers and instead utilise a username. The username feature is already present in platforms like Telegram and Instagram. It allows users to get a higher level of privacy, and after all these years, was missing on WhatsApp. Note that usernames are not default in WhatsApp, it is optional for the users. Nothing changes for you as a user if you don’t want to utilise this feature.
Key Highlights
- WhatsApp is introducing a username feature that allows users to connect without sharing their phone numbers.
- The feature is optional, meaning users can continue using WhatsApp normally without creating a username.
- Each WhatsApp account can only have one username at a time, but users will be able to change it later without affecting chats or account access.
- Even with usernames enabled, the account will still remain linked to a phone number for login and recovery purposes.
- Usernames can be between 3 and 35 characters long, and WhatsApp will automatically check username availability before confirming it.
There are a few things, though. Each account can have one username at a time. However, you can still change the username later whenever you want, and it won’t affect your chats or account. The account of the user will still be linked to your phone number for sign-in and recovery. However, if someone contacts you via your username, then your phone number will not be shown to the user.