WhatsApp, usernames are arriving: what changes for the telephone number

For the first time since the birth of the platform, WhatsApp one of its most characteristic elements changes: the identity of the users will no longer be linked exclusively to telephone number. Meta has started the release of usernames, unique usernames that will allow you to start a conversation without having to communicate your number to anyone who is not already present in the address book.

This is a turning point for the app messaging most used in the world, with over three billion active users, and a modification that focuses above all to strengthen privacy. Until now, in fact, anyone in possession of a telephone number could search for and contact the relevant WhatsApp account. With the new system, however, it will be possible to choose a personal identifier preceded by the “@” symbol, similar to those already used on Telegram, Signal, Instagram and X.

The telephone number remains but will no longer be mandatory

The change does not eliminate the telephone number, which will continue to be necessary to register an account and for security procedures, but will allow users not to show it in new conversations. In practice, to get in touch with a person you just need to know them usernamewithout the number being automatically shared. AND a solution designed especially for groupscommunities, online sales, occasional work contacts and all those situations in which users today are forced to make their telephone number public.

The comparison between Whatsapp, Telegram and Signal

The introduction of usernames also bridges one of the main historical differences between WhatsApp and other messaging services. Telegram e Signal they have already allowed you to communicate through a username for some time, while the Meta app has always based its contact network exclusively on the telephone book. However, the growth of channels, communities and conversations with unknown people has made the need to offer an additional level of privacy increasingly evident, bringing WhatsApp closer to a more flexible usage model. In fact, Meta presents the novelty as a natural evolution of the appincreasingly used not only to talk to friends and family, but also to interact with companies, organizations, creators and interest groups.

Username reservations

Meta also started to open username reservations. Users who receive the feature can choose their name in advance, preventing it from being occupied by others before the global release, which will take place progressively over the next few months. Verified companies and profiles will also be able to maintain greater continuity of their digital identity on the various Meta group platforms.

Technical rules and phishing risk

From a technical point of view, usernames must respect precise rules: they will be unique, have a length between three and thirty characters and cannot imitate web addresses or internet domains, a limitation designed to reduce attempts at phishing. Furthermore, there will be no publicly consultable list of users: to start a conversation you will need to know exactly the username of the person you want to contact. Meta explained that it designed the feature as a privacy tool and not as a social network with freely searchable profiles.

The Username Key against spam and scams

For those who want a further level of protection, the company will also introduce a Username Key, an optional code that can be requested to allow the first contact. The goal is to limit unwanted messages and make it more difficult for spammers or scammers to abuse usernames.

The news will also have effects on the business world. In fact, with the new system, companies that use WhatsApp Business and the platform’s API will be able to identify users through a new identifier, called Business Scoped User IDwithout necessarily having to rely on the telephone number. For many companies that manage customer support, e-commerce or digital services it will therefore be necessary to update their systems and integrations with customer management software.