WhatsApp Opens Username Reservations to Three Billion Users

WhatsApp opened reservations on June 29, 2026 for usernames that will let its three billion users chat without sharing phone numbers. The reservations come ahead of a wider rollout later this year, the company said in a WhatsApp’s June 29 reservation announcement post, and they are designed as a privacy-first identity layer rather than a social-media handle.

Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, framed the new username as a core privacy feature in a press briefing. The optional handle will replace phone numbers for first-time contact, but the platform will still require a number to register, and high-profile accounts will be locked out of their names to stop impersonation.

Reservation Window Opens for Three Billion People

WhatsApp said it would let users reserve a username starting this week, ahead of the feature itself. The reservation system is live in the latest version of the app, accessible through Settings > Account > Username. The blog post calls reservations “early” so users can lock in their preferred handle before general availability.

The reservations carry no commitment to a launch date. WhatsApp said it will roll out the feature “over the coming months” and notify each user in-app when usernames become available in their country. With more than three billion people on WhatsApp, the company expects a rush.

How a WhatsApp Username Works

The username functions as a private address, not a public profile. WhatsApp says it will keep no directory of usernames, will offer no typing suggestions, and will require an exact match for any new conversation. Newton-Rex told reporters that anyone trying to reach a user for the first time via username must already know the exact handle.

The feature borrows its bones from the approach Signal’s phone number privacy and username rollout introduced in early 2024, when the encrypted messenger hid numbers from non-contacts by default.

For an extra layer of control, WhatsApp is also introducing an optional username key. A Meta spokesperson, quoted by The Hacker News, said a contact will need both the exact username and the key to message the user for the first time, and the key can be reset at any time to cut off inbound contact. Usernames must be between three and 35 characters, and WhatsApp will offer a generator for users who want help choosing one.

• No directory to browse. Users cannot discover strangers by searching a list of usernames.
• No suggestions. The app will not propose names as someone types.
• An exact-match requirement. Contacts need the exact username, plus the optional key, to message the user for the first time.

The Privacy Trade-off Hiding in Plain Sight

WhatsApp is keeping the phone number at registration while moving it out of first-time contact visibility. The model is a delayed clone of Signal’s 2024 design, where users still need a phone number to sign up but can stay invisible to non-contacts once a username is set.

Once usernames go live, first-time contacts will no longer see the phone number of a user who has enabled the feature. People who already have the user’s number saved will continue to see it in chat, since they already know it. The trade-off is that anyone holding the number in their phone’s contacts still has a path to the account.

To prevent impersonation, WhatsApp will hold back usernames for high-profile people or groups such as celebrities, public figures, and government entities. The list of reserved handles will not be published. “I think a lot of people will go and get usernames and that’s why we decided to open reservations early,” Newton-Rex said.

We have designed this as a core privacy feature.

The quote is from Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, in a press briefing reported by The Associated Press.

Creators and Businesses Get a Reserved Lane

For accounts that want consistency across Meta’s family of apps, WhatsApp has set aside a separate path. Creators, small businesses, and organizations with existing accounts on Instagram or Facebook will be able to claim the same username on WhatsApp through a dedicated claims system. That moves the platform closer to the cross-app identity model that Meta already runs on Instagram and Facebook.

For businesses, the change reshapes how customer identity is stored. Webhooks will carry a stable identifier called a Business-Scoped User ID tied to a user’s account, and that field can route support, analytics, and CRM workflows whether or not the user has enabled username-based contact. The BSUID concept and the API transition details are laid out in the BSUID system and what businesses must change on WABetaInfo, and the technical work is broader than the consumer feature. WhatsApp’s developer documentation has been updated, and phone numbers will no longer be the only handle in a customer record.

• Creators and brands. Instagram and Facebook accounts can claim matching WhatsApp usernames through a dedicated claims path.
• Customer records. Business-Scoped User IDs (BSUIDs) appear in webhooks so CRM and analytics tools can route users without their phone numbers.
• API readiness. Developers must update integrations to recognize BSUIDs alongside phone numbers before the general launch.

Meta is also pushing WhatsApp deeper into a sales platform where chats carry purchases, support, and payments. See how that works in Meta’s WhatsApp AI agents turning chats into a sales platform.

A Catch-up Move Against Signal and the Field

Signal shipped usernames in early 2024, more than two years before WhatsApp opened its reservation window. The Intercept reported on March 4, 2024 that Signal was rolling out usernames and a default-hide for phone numbers among non-contacts. WhatsApp is the largest mainstream messenger to add the feature this late, and the gap matters because every quarter of delay was a quarter when a Signal handle could be shared on a social profile without giving away a number.

WhatsApp is leaning on Meta’s existing identity stack to close that gap. The claim-an-Instagram-handle path folds the new feature into the same cross-app handle model that Instagram and Facebook already use, and regulators have already pushed Meta to open parts of WhatsApp. The EU order opening WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots sits alongside this launch as the other major external pressure on WhatsApp’s identity surface this year.

When Your Reserved Username Goes Live

Reserving a username now does not change how a WhatsApp account works until the feature goes live. It secures the handle on a first-come basis, and it gives users a window to pick something memorable before the platform’s most-followed creators race to claim their names.

Newton-Rex said the company opened reservations ahead of the feature so users could pick their preferred name before the rush. The reservations are voluntary, and users can change or release a username at any point. The next milestone is the in-app notification that turns each reservation into an active handle, and WhatsApp says that notification will arrive country by country over the coming months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need a phone number to use WhatsApp?

Yes. WhatsApp continues to require a phone number to register an account. The username is an optional, additional way to be reached that does not replace the number at sign-up.

Can someone with my phone number still find me on WhatsApp?

People who already have your number saved in their phone’s contacts will continue to see it in your chat. The username feature hides your number from new contacts only when you have enabled it and someone messages you via your username.

How long can my WhatsApp username be?

WhatsApp says usernames must be between three and 35 characters. The company is offering a built-in generator to help users pick a unique handle.

Can my business claim its Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp?

Yes. Creators, small businesses, and organizations with existing Instagram or Facebook handles can claim matching usernames on WhatsApp through a dedicated claims system. The reservation window is open ahead of the feature’s general availability.

When will WhatsApp usernames be live for me?

WhatsApp says the feature will roll out gradually over the coming months, and users will receive an in-app notification when usernames are available in their country. The exact country-by-country schedule has not been published.