WhatsApp is preparing to take a step the community has been asking for years: usernames. A feature that seems simple at first glance, but with a huge privacy impact, because it will allow starting conversations and even accessing your account without having to share your phone number. The news, reported by the specialized site WABetaInfo, will debut first in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and, later, will roll out to everyone.
Can you imagine being able to give your alias, like you do on Telegram or Discord, and that person can already message you without seeing your phone number? That is precisely the idea: a unique, recognizable and searchable identifier, in the style of the nicks we used since the IRC days or, more recently, like your username on GitHub.
What changes with usernames on WhatsApp
Until now, adding someone on WhatsApp necessarily involved exchanging numbers and saving them in your contacts, with the associated risks and inconveniences; with usernames, however, the platform introduces a clear and much more private alternative. Each person will be able to choose a unique alias and other users will be able to find and add them to start a chat, without needing to reveal the phone number. Also, when someone doesn’t have your number saved, they will see your username as the default identifier.
In fact, the company is preparing for this alias to also serve as a method to access your account, so it works as that unique identifier that many other apps have long been using. Telegram, Signal and Threema already offer similar systems for years, and WhatsApp, with its massive user base, can normalize this behavior in the daily lives of millions of people.
In practice, this strengthens your control over the identity you share. You will be able to hold conversations without exposing your number, route new contacts through the alias, and decide with whom you share your real phone number. For those who manage communities, businesses, or simply prefer to compartmentalize their digital life, it is a before-and-after moment.
How to reserve your alias and where to configure it
Meta already has a reservation system in place so you can secure your name as soon as possible. According to what WABetaInfo has detected in the app’s code, the option appears inside Settings, in the Profile section. There, next to the display name, the ‘Info’ section and the phone number, you will see a new field called ‘Username’. If you haven’t configured it yet, a link will be shown to reserve it.
The flow will be as straightforward as expected: you check if the alias you want is available and, if it isn’t, the app itself will guide you to find available variants. This is where the classic ‘first come, first served’ applies: whoever registers a specific name first gets it. Therefore, if you have a highly sought-after nickname in mind, it’s best to stay alert, especially if you are part of the iOS beta program, where the feature will start appearing earlier.
It is worth remembering that this alias will identify you permanently within the service, so choosing it carefully is not a whim but a strategic decision. At this point, there is no confirmation yet on whether it can be changed freely or under what conditions, so it’s better to think of an option that represents you in the long term. Think of something easy to say, easy to spell and that won’t confuse someone hearing it for the first time.
Rules for creating your name (and mistakes to avoid)
WhatsApp has established a set of rules to ensure usernames are clear, compatible and secure. If you stick to them from the start, you’ll save yourself rejections and unnecessary attempts:
- Minimum length of 3 characters and maximum of 30.
- Must contain at least one letter.
- Allowed characters: letters, numbers, periods and underscores.
- Normal hyphens or other special symbols are not allowed.
- Cannot start with ‘www.’
- Cannot end with a domain, such as ‘.cat’, ‘.com’ or ‘.info’.
- Cannot begin or end with a period.
- Two consecutive periods inside the alias are not allowed.
With these rules in mind, valid examples would be ‘ana_perez’, ‘carlos.1984’ or ‘techfan_7’, while ‘www.maria’, ‘juan–ramon’, ‘miguel..g’ or ‘laura.com’ would be rejected. If the alias you want is already taken, try playing with periods and underscores or add meaningful numbers, always keeping readability in mind.
Finally, a practical tip: avoid including sensitive data in your alias, such as your full birth year or overly personal references; it’s not an app rule, but a good privacy practice. Think of your alias like your old ‘gamertag’: something recognizable, consistent with your digital presence and that doesn’t expose you more than necessary.
In short, usernames arrive to solve a longstanding WhatsApp shortcoming and they do so with a focus on privacy and usability. If you were waiting for the moment to stop handing out your number for every new group or contact, this is the change you’ve been asking for for years.
