If you use the popular messaging service WhatsApp, you know that you can only add contacts to the service with a phone number. Don’t have the number registered to a WhatsApp account? Then you can’t add the contact to the app.
Clearly, having to share your phone number is not always a good idea. While you may not have any issues sharing it with close friends or family, giving it to others is another matter.
It is a privacy and security issue. Other messengers support usernames, which do not reveal critical information to a third-party.
WhatsApp started to work on usernames about three years ago, but the Meta-owned app is just about to start rolling the feature out to a first batch of users, reports WABetaInfo.
You can add a username in the settings. Once you do, you may share the username with others to get them to add you to the messenger. Good news is that you can further protect the username with a code, which others need to provide when they try to add you.
However, there are quite a few limitations regarding usernames. Here are noteworthy ones:
- The username can be between 3 and 23 characters in length.
- It needs to start with a letter, and can only contain letters, numbers, underscore, and a period.
- It can’t be a domain name or start with www.
- It can’t be taken, if someone on Instagram or Facebook picked it already. The user who picked it can get it on WhatsApp.
Support for usernames is a welcome addition. While some Internet users prefer to use other messaging clients, those who offer more privacy, WhatsApp’s users will certainly benefit from the feature.
No official ETA or confirmation by Meta at this point though. Might take months or even longer before the feature lands for most users.