WhatsApp allows users to set a custom name

WhatsApp, considered one of the world's most popular messengers, has announced a long-awaited update. Zamin.uz reported on this.

Now, users will be able to reserve special usernames to communicate without revealing their personal phone numbers. This feature is expected to significantly increase the level of personal privacy on the platform.

Techcrunch.com reports on this. The messenger, owned by Meta, has been working on this feature for several years.

According to reports, the process of reserving usernames has already begun, but the full launch of the function will be implemented gradually by the end of this year. Users will have the opportunity to choose unique names consisting of three to thirty characters.

Security and personal privacy As Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President of Products at WhatsApp, noted, a phone number is very personal information and is linked to many other aspects of a person's life. Giving your number immediately to someone you've just met or a colleague can be inconvenient.

Usernames allow you to control exactly who you show your number to. A unique feature of the system is that usernames cannot be found via search within the app.

In other words, a person who wants to contact you must know your exact username. Additionally, to enhance security, a special code setting function will be added — strangers who do not know this code will not be able to message you.

Reservation procedure and restrictions Meta has currently begun reserving names for public figures, organizations, and individual users. Regular users will receive a special notification as soon as this option becomes available in their countries.

After that, the desired name can be chosen via the settings, account, and username section. The company is implementing this reservation system to prevent name duplication across its base of over three billion users.

If a user is a business owner or a content creator, it is recommended that they reserve their name from their Facebook or Instagram network for WhatsApp as well. It is worth noting that username systems have existed for several years in competing messengers such as Telegram, Signal, and Wire.

By introducing this feature, WhatsApp is attempting to close the privacy gap with its competitors. Nevertheless, the requirement of a phone number to open a new account remains unchanged.