WhatsApp to let people chat without swapping phone numbers

WhatsApp will begin allowing users to connect via unique usernames instead of phone numbers, a change rolling out globally to its three billion account holders over the coming months, the Meta-owned platform announced. Starting Monday, users can reserve a name through the app, though it will not be compulsory [1]. The company said people will be able to remove or change their usernames at any time [1]. Once the feature is fully activated, individual phone numbers will no longer be visible on the platform, and users can connect after exchanging usernames only [1]. Names will be limited to 35 characters, with few restrictions beyond reserving the identities of some high-profile officials and celebrities [1]. Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's head of product, said the change was designed to "give users control over how they choose to show up on the app" [1]. She noted that users had expressed reluctance to share phone numbers, particularly in group chats [1]. The secure messaging app Signal introduced an identical service in 2024 [1]. Carisa Veliz, a professor at Oxford University and author of Privacy is Power, described the feature as positive but cautioned that WhatsApp "is not a privacy-friendly app overall" [1]. She noted that the platform collects metadata about users for marketing purposes and highlighted that WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which she called "one of the tech companies with the worst track records when it comes to privacy" [1]. Meta has faced sustained criticism over user privacy, including the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal and accusations of political manipulation during the 2016 U.S. elections [3]. There will be no public username directory, and a phone number will still be required to create an account [1]. The minimum age for using the platform remains 13 [1]. Messaging apps will not be included in the UK's upcoming social media ban for under-16s, due to be implemented next year [1]. The rollout comes amid leadership changes at WhatsApp. Kunal Shah, founder of an Indian fintech start-up, will take over as head of the platform, with Will Cathcart stepping down after seven years in the role [1].