30/06/2026 04:06 - Tecnologia
The world's most popular messaging app takes a historic step toward personal data protection. Users can now reserve their username and connect with others without revealing their phone number.
WhatsApp has enabled username reservations for all users. This feature, rumored for months, is finally arriving gradually to the platform serving 3 billion monthly users worldwide.
The setting is found in Settings > Account > Username. Once reserved, users can share this identifier instead of their phone number for others to add them as contacts.
No need to expose your personal number for online purchases, social media connections, or professional networking.
Users decide who has their username and can change it to limit access from specific people.
| Active Users | 3 billion/month |
| Minimum Characters | 3 |
| Maximum Characters | 40 |
| Public Directory | Not available |
| Availability | Gradual |
The feature is now available for reserving names, but full deployment will be gradual. Not all users may see it activated immediately.
The Meta-owned company has been working for years on ways to improve user privacy. The ability to use an alternative identifier to a phone number was one of the most requested features by the community for a long time.
This measure joins other privacy tools like screenshot blocking for temporary chats, the option to hide "online" status, and fingerprint or PIN lock for specific chats.
WhatsApp is the dominant messaging platform in Latin America, Europe, India, and parts of Africa. Unlike the US where iMessage and SMS remain popular, most of the world relies on WhatsApp for daily communication. This new feature addresses a long-standing concern about sharing personal phone numbers with businesses, delivery services, and new acquaintances in regions where WhatsApp is essential for everyday life.
Source: El Día, Google News, Xataka | Date: 29/06/2026
Alfredo S. Quiroga
