Here’s how to reserve your WhatsApp username—and why you should do it before the release date

Meta Platforms has announced that reservations are open for people to select their Whats App usernames—a feature that will be rolling out later this year. Here’s what you need to know about Whats App usernames and how to reserve yours today. What is a Whats App username? A Whats App username is the biggest change to how you connect and message with others on Whats App since the messenger debuted 17 years ago. Since its launch, Whats App has facilitated communications based on users’ phone numbers. In order to text someone on WhatsApp, you needed their registered phone number. But phone numbers are sensitive things. We use them everywhere—and not just for calls and texting. Phone numbers can serve as identifiers, be how we receive two-factor authentication codes, and even reveal which parts of the country we live in. Yet if you’ve wanted to communicate with an individual or business on WhatsApp, you’ve had to provide this sensitive information. Until now, that is. Starting later this year, WhatsApp will allow you to swap messages with someone based on a new username system the service is rolling out. Meta, which also owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, opened reservations for WhatsApp usernames on Monday. [Images: Meta] That means you no longer need to hand over your phone number to a stranger to communicate with them on WhatsApp—if you don’t want to. You can simply give them your unique WhatsApp username instead. Doing so will protect your phone number from people and businesses, while still ensuring you can communicate with them via WhatsApp as effortlessly as you always could. Can I start using a WhatsApp username today? No. WhatsApp hasn’t enabled the username feature yet. It’s still coming later this year. WhatsApp has opened reservations so you can select your desired username now, and once you do, no one else will be able to take that name. Then, when the username feature goes live later this year, you’ll be able to start sending and receiving messages at y