WhatsApp Opens Username Reservations for 2026 Launch

Meta has begun allowing users to reserve usernames on WhatsApp this week, giving the app’s more than three billion users a chance to claim their preferred handle before the full feature launches later in 2026. Once available, usernames will let people start conversations without sharing their phone number.

What Usernames Mean for Privacy

WhatsApp’s username system is designed as a privacy enhancement. When the feature is live, users who enable it can message someone for the first time without exposing their phone number. The same protection applies in group chats, such as parent groups or event-based chats, where a consistent identity replaces the need to share a personal number.

Meta explained: “Once we launch usernames, when you message a person or business for the first time they will no longer see your phone number if you have enabled your username.”

The company also confirmed there will be no directory of usernames to browse and no automatic suggestions. Other users will need to know the exact username to start a conversation.

Alongside usernames, the company is introducing an optional username key. This key must be known before someone can send a first message, giving users more control over who can reach them and reducing unwanted contact from people who guess or find a username elsewhere. The company has not yet detailed how the key is generated, shared, or reset.

Some questions remain open. Because reservations opened early, it has not fully addressed how long a reservation stays valid if not linked to an active account, whether usernames can be transferred or reset after launch, or how disputes over reserved handles will be managed. Users should check WhatsApp’s official channels for updates — the behavior might not match other Meta platforms. However, users who reserve a handle now will keep it through the launch period.

How to Reserve a Username Now

Reservation is available on the latest version of WhatsApp. To claim a username, users open the app on Android or iPhone, go to Settings, tap Account, then select Username. They enter their preferred name and confirm. A username generator is also built into the app to help choose something unique.

Creators, small businesses, and organizations can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp, unifying their identity across the company’s messaging and social apps. The company has published FAQ pages with details on how to do this.

Users on older versions of WhatsApp need to update through the App Store or Google Play Store. The process is the same on both platforms.

When the Full Feature Will Arrive

The username feature is not yet live.

The company has not given an exact release date, saying only that the rollout will happen gradually over the coming months. Country-specific notifications will be sent through the app once usernames become active.