Meta has announced the introduction of usernames on WhatsApp, allowing users to replace their phone number with a personal handle for greater privacy. Reservations are now open, sparking a scramble to secure the most desirable usernames. The feature is not yet active globally, but the rollout will begin in the coming months. Here is everything you need to know to lock down your unique handle.
Reservations available only on mobile
Currently, username reservations are only available on the mobile versions of WhatsApp. If you keep your app updated, you may receive a notification when the feature is ready. Alternatively, you can access the menu directly by opening WhatsApp, going to Settings, tapping your username, and selecting "Reserve username." The system will check availability and assign the name to your account if it is free.
Rules for choosing a username
As with most social networks, your username must be unique. This means that if someone else has already claimed "GlitterQueen4Eva," you will need to come up with an alternative. Once a handle is changed or deleted, it becomes available again after 14 days. Meta has not specified how many times a user can change their name, but a limit will be applied in the future. If you do not want to create a new ID, you can use the same username from Facebook or Instagram, provided it has not already been taken. However, choosing an original name for WhatsApp can be safer if privacy is your priority. Technical requirements include a length between 3 and 35 characters, only lowercase letters, numbers, underscores, and periods. Usernames consisting entirely of numbers are not allowed, and restricted words or phrases are also prohibited.
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Security and fraud concerns
Meta has planned measures to ensure that messages come from known people, such as an authorization key for first-time contacts via username. However, concerns remain that unverified names could increase the risk of scams. Although Meta will not allow just anyone to impersonate Beyoncé or Tim Cook, the company has not clarified how it will verify or block fake profiles. Social media scams cost billions of dollars in the US alone. Similarly, Google recently banned Chrome extensions that bypass AI chatbot safeguards, highlighting the importance of robust security measures for digital platforms. WhatsApp has also strengthened its policies to combat abuse, but India has called on Meta to freeze the rollout until additional fraud prevention guarantees are provided. With over 500 million users, India is WhatsApp's largest market, and any delay could impact the global launch. For more details, see the original article on Engadget.
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Source: https://www.engadget.com/2207358/how-to-claim-whatsapp-username
