WhatsApp is working on an option to create and edit usernames through the web app. The feature is still in development and has not been released for testing, but it marks an important step forward in making the messenger less dependent on phone numbers.
The tool was found by the specialized website WABetaInfo in the application code. According to the website, the new field allows you to create a username or edit one if it has already been created. The text that accompanies the username area says that “people will be able to find you and contact you without needing your phone number.”
In addition, as the publication notes, when you give your username to someone, that person does not have access to your phone number through the app, even after exchanging messages. This is an important advance in terms of privacy: without your number, it is more difficult to enter through other means of contact outside of WhatsApp, such as SMS and calls.
WhatsApp is chasing competitors
Usernames for WhatsApp first appeared in May 2023. They are in the beta version of the Android app, but still in the development phase, without being released for testing. Now, there are already two different platforms being prepared to receive the news.
The function is not unheard of among messengers. Telegram, one of WhatsApp’s main competitors, has been offering usernames for years. There, the user can choose between showing the phone number to everyone, only for saved contacts, or no one.
In 2023, WhatsApp added features from the most varied rivals to its app. It now has voice chat, which works in a similar way to Discord rooms. For those who have more professional demands, the platform offers video calls with screen sharing, as Google Meet and Zoom already did.
