WhatsApp has begun accepting username reservations globally for a new feature that will allow users to communicate without sharing their phone number. The username feature is scheduled to launch later in 2026.

Users can reserve a username by navigating to Settings > Account > Username in the latest version of the WhatsApp application. Usernames must be between 3 and 35 characters in length. The feature will introduce an optional 'username key' that others must know to message a user.

WhatsApp will not provide a public directory of usernames, and users cannot search for or browse others by username. To contact a user via username, a person must know the exact username. "People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time," said Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President and Head of Product at WhatsApp. Users will receive an in-app notification when the username feature becomes available in their country, and can turn off the feature or change their username at any time.

Individuals and organizations can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook handles as their WhatsApp username. WhatsApp is reserving usernames for high-profile individuals, such as celebrities, politicians, and government entities, to prevent impersonation. The feature will roll out gradually over the coming months.

Newton-Rex stated that the new feature aims to enhance user privacy. "Your phone number is personal, and it's tied to so many other parts of your life," she said. "So usernames are designed to give you control of who gets to see your phone number in the first place."

A phone number is still required to create a WhatsApp account. A user's phone number remains visible to existing contacts and group chat members after enabling the username feature. WhatsApp states it has over 3 billion users globally. "With over three billion people on WhatsApp a lot of names overlap, which is why we're opening reservations early so everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them," the company said.