- WhatsApp is now letting some users set up usernames
- So far, this feature is only available to a limited number of beta users
- With it, you can share your username rather than your phone number
We’ve been hearing that WhatsApp will be getting usernames for a while now, and they’ve finally arrived — though so far, they're only in the latest beta versions of WhatsApp, and only for a “limited” number of users in a phased rollout, according to WABetaInfo.
In other words, you need to be running a beta version of WhatsApp to benefit from the new feature right now, and even then, you might not get access just yet. But the very fact that usernames are in beta suggests they'll hopefully roll out more widely soon.
When you do get access to the new feature, you can head to Settings > Profile within the WhatsApp app, and from there, you’ll be able to create a username. The feature is live in both iOS and Android WhatsApp betas, and rather than creating a new username, you can choose to use your Facebook or Instagram username instead, if you prefer.
If you do create one, then there are various restrictions, including that it must be a username that isn’t currently being used by someone else on any of Meta’s platforms, that it must be at least three characters long, and that it must start with a letter — though it can also include numbers, periods, and underscores.
Other restrictions include that it can’t start with www., end with a domain, or exceed 35 characters in length.
A privacy perk
In any case, this is a feature I’ve been waiting a long time for — I’m not keen on sharing my phone number any more than necessary, so usernames allow for a bit more privacy.
And WhatsApp is also allowing you to optionally set up a four-digit ‘username key’, which anyone who wants to message you would then need to know, as well as your username, adding another layer of security and privacy.
This is all good news, though the other potential advantage of a username — that being the ability to use a messaging app without linking your phone number to it at all — seemingly isn’t currently possible here. You still need to link your number to WhatsApp; you just don’t need to share it with the people you message on there.
