WhatsApp is introducing a new username feature that lets users be identified by a chosen handle, separate from their phone number. The feature is designed to make it easier for people to connect, particularly when users want to share a username rather than reveal their phone number. Details reported include how the feature works: users create or select a username, and others can find or contact them using that username within WhatsApp’s user discovery and messaging flows.
In parallel, reporting also links the rollout to a period of leadership change at Meta, with Indian fintech founder Kunal Shah taking charge of WhatsApp. Multiple outlets frame the update as part of WhatsApp’s broader push to improve how users find each other and manage their identity on the platform. The exact availability, eligibility, and timing across devices or regions may vary, as is typical with app feature rollouts. Overall, the update centers on changing how WhatsApp handles user identification while the company’s leadership undergoes a transition.
