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WhatsApp not lets you reserve usernames

TechCrunch · Jun 29, 2026, 4:00 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • Whats App today announced a much-awaited feature: usernames, which will allow users to share their profiles without disclosing their phone number.
  • Whats App has been working on adding usernames for a few years, and it is finally ready to detail how they work.
  • Users will receive a notification once the username reservation option is available in their country.

Whats App today announced a much-awaited feature: usernames, which will allow users to share their profiles without disclosing their phone number. However, Whats App will still require a phone number to create an account on the chat app.

Whats App has been working on adding usernames for a few years, and it is finally ready to detail how they work.

Starting today, the Meta-owned company will let users reserve usernames, which will officially roll out later this year. People can choose any username with 3 to 35 characters. The company said it s reserving usernames for top celebrities, VIPs, and organizations. Besides that, there aren’t any restrictions on choosing a username, as long as it doesn t violate the company s policies. Meta said that if businesses and creators want to maintain uniformity, they can claim their Facebook or Instagram username as their WhatsApp username.

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