What’s Changing on WhatsApp and What It Means for Your Digital Security

As our lives become increasingly digital, connecting with people and accessing services has never been easier. Today, almost everything is just a click, message, or phone call away.

Want to get in touch with someone you know? You can simply ask a mutual friend for their contact information. Need to schedule a medical appointment? Just send the clinic a message. In situations like these, you’re sharing your phone number directly with someone.

But there are plenty of situations where your number is exposed to a much wider group of people. Think carpool groups, school groups for parents, college groups, work chats, or sports teams. In these cases, everyone in the group can see your phone number, including people you’ve never interacted with before.

While this makes communication easier, it also makes it much harder to keep your phone number private. Simply joining a group may give every member access to your contact information, allowing them to message you directly or even use your number in scams, including impersonation scams.

That’s where WhatsApp’s new username feature comes in. Meta plans to allow WhatsApp users to use a username instead of sharing their phone number, following a model similar to Instagram and Threads. The idea is to give you more privacy when you don’t want to share your personal number with someone you don’t know, whether you’re scheduling an appointment or simply keeping up with what’s happening in your residential community.

So, how will WhatsApp usernames work, and what could they mean for your privacy?

What Is a WhatsApp Username?

A WhatsApp username, also known as a handle or “@,” is a unique, optional identifier that individuals and businesses can use instead of sharing a phone number. Rather than giving someone your number, you’ll be able to share your @username so they can find you on WhatsApp.

According to WhatsApp, usernames are designed to give users more privacy. The feature is a first step toward a future where you won’t have to give strangers or businesses your personal phone number just to start a conversation. It’s a significant shift in how people find, connect with, and interact with one another online.

Who Can Use WhatsApp Usernames?

Whether you use WhatsApp for personal, professional, or business purposes, usernames will be available to everyone, although using one will be optional.

Meta has already begun rolling out username reservations around the world. Throughout this year, more than 3 billion people will be able to choose and register their preferred username on WhatsApp.

Can Anyone Who Knows My Username Contact Me?

WhatsApp usernames will give individuals and businesses a unique, searchable identity on the app. However, someone will need to know your exact username to find you. This means people will be able to find and message you without knowing your phone number.

Once the feature becomes available, anyone who doesn’t already have your number saved will need to know your @username to contact you for the first time.

If you want even more control over who can contact you, WhatsApp will also offer a username key—a PIN or security key that you can share only with people you want to allow to start a conversation with you.

If you enable this PIN, or if the person you want to contact has enabled one, a username alone won’t be enough to start a conversation. The security key will also be required.

You won’t need the PIN to start a conversation if:

• The person’s phone number is already saved in your contacts.
• You’ve exchanged messages with that person before.
• You and the other person are members of the same WhatsApp group.
• You’ve previously scanned the person’s QR code.
• The other person starts the conversation with you.

You’ll also have several ways to share your username without giving out your phone number:

• Direct link: Generate a link with your username and share it through a message, social media, email, or even on a business card.
• QR code: Generate a QR code linked to your username so others can scan it and quickly start a conversation with you.

How Will WhatsApp Usernames Work?

WhatsApp has grown far beyond a simple messaging app. Today, people and businesses use it for sales, customer service, billing, technical support, and much more. Introducing usernames is another step toward giving users more privacy by allowing them to identify themselves without sharing their phone numbers.

You’ll be able to choose or generate a unique username between 3 and 35 characters long. And you won’t be stuck with the same username forever. You’ll be able to change or remove it at any time, giving you the flexibility to adapt it as your personal preferences, or a brand or company’s digital identity, change over time.

If you already have an established presence across Meta platforms—for example, as a small business or content creator—you’ll also be able to claim your username, add it to Accounts Center, and link it to the names you already use on Instagram and Facebook. This will make it easier to maintain a consistent digital identity across Meta’s different apps.

Can I Use a Public Figure’s Name?

No. You won’t be able to register usernames belonging to famous people, such as Beyoncé or Vinicius Jr.

According to Meta, these safeguards are intended to reduce fraud, scams, and identity misuse. Usernames associated with government officials, political leaders, celebrities, and other public figures will be reserved as a precaution so that third parties cannot register them.

Are WhatsApp Usernames Safe?

So, are usernames actually safer? Opinions are divided.

WhatsApp says users won’t be able to register the exact names of public figures and that every user will have a unique identifier. Even so, security experts warn that there may still be ways for scammers to take advantage of the feature.

One of the biggest concerns is impersonation. A scammer could create a username that looks very similar to someone else’s and then pretend to be that person in an attempt to deceive others.

A recent example occurred in India—a country with more than 500 million active WhatsApp users—where several usernames identical or very similar to those of government officials, including the prime minister, and celebrities were reportedly available for reservation before Meta introduced its announced safeguards.

Security experts point out that platforms built around usernames often face challenges involving visual impersonation, look-alike characters, and social engineering. In practice, even a small change in spelling may be enough to fool someone and make a scam more convincing.

Some organizations have raised similar concerns. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has said that usernames could contribute to an increase in phishing attacks, fraud, and impersonation scams. The Mozilla Foundation has also warned that the change could lead to more scam attempts because phone numbers will no longer serve as one of the ways people can verify a contact’s identity.

But not everyone sees the change as a negative development.

In an interview with TechCrunch, Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, said the feature could reduce some of the risks that come with exposing your phone number, including SIM-swapping attacks and phishing campaigns. She also emphasized that one of the most important ways to stay safe is still to verify the identity of the person you’re talking to.

Vinicius Perallis, CEO of Hacker Rangers, sees the feature as an additional layer of data protection for today’s digital world. In his view, WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps are increasingly replacing email as a major channel for scams. One reason is simple: people today often pay more attention to messages they receive through messaging apps than to emails.

Meta says it is taking a cautious approach to the rollout. According to the company, it is moving forward carefully and listening closely to feedback to make sure the feature meets users’ expectations when it becomes more widely available later this year.

The company also points to username security keys as a way to give users more privacy and control over who can start a conversation with them. And because usernames can be linked to Instagram and Facebook through Accounts Center, Meta says the feature should also help reduce inconsistencies and make legitimate profiles easier to identify.

How to Stay Safe on WhatsApp

Whether or not you choose to use a username, it’s important to remember that WhatsApp is much more than a tool for chatting with friends and family. Millions of people and businesses also rely on the app for work and everyday communication.

That makes staying up to date with new features and following good digital security practices essential.

Keep WhatsApp updated, back up your data regularly, enable two-step verification, and be cautious when you receive unexpected messages. These simple steps can go a long way toward reducing your risk.

You should also be especially careful with messages from unknown or suspicious phone numbers—or usernames—particularly when someone asks for personal information, verification codes, or money transfers.

If you want to strengthen your company’s security and prepare your employees to deal with cybersecurity threats on WhatsApp and other digital channels, learn more about Hacker Rangers. Our security awareness training helps teams recognize scams, develop safer habits, and protect sensitive information in their day-to-day work.