New WhatsApp Username Feature: Reservations Are Now Open, Everything You Need to Know

Meta Platforms has officially opened reservations for custom WhatsApp usernames, a highly anticipated new feature scheduled to roll out to all users globally later this year. Below, we break down everything you need to know about this upcoming update, and how you can claim your preferred handle right away.

What is a WhatsApp username?

This new username system marks the most transformative change to how users connect and chat on WhatsApp since the messaging app first debuted 17 years ago. From its initial launch, WhatsApp has structured all user connections around registered phone numbers: to message another person on the platform, you have always been required to have access to their phone number tied to their account.

But phone numbers are sensitive personal data that touch nearly every part of our modern lives, far beyond just placing calls and sending texts. They function as universal personal identifiers for most online services, act as the default method for receiving two-factor authentication codes to secure our accounts, and can even reveal private details like which region of a country a user resides in.

Starting later this year, WhatsApp will allow users to exchange messages with one another through this new username system, removing the requirement to share phone numbers to connect. Meta, the parent company that also owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, opened reservations for custom usernames to users starting this Monday.