Officially, WhatsApp will be making the leap to adopting nicknames, typical of other social networks. Each user will be able to choose a unique name preceded by the @ symbol, which will serve as their identifier within WhatsApp. According to Business Standard, this change would allow WhatsApp users to share their profile without revealing their personal number, a measure that improves privacy in work or business contexts. This news is eagerly awaited by users, especially those who work via WhatsApp or have to use different smartphones with the app.
The company is developing a reservation system that will allow users to secure their usernames before the feature is generally activated
One of the pillars of this new feature is to strengthen privacy and facilitate connection without having to share a phone number. Based on what we know so far, usernames will be subject to uniqueness and verification rules, preventing duplication and potential identity theft. The company is developing a reservation system that will allow users to secure their usernames before the feature is generally activated. Furthermore, this new feature could also make it easier to search for contacts within the app, without relying on a traditional phone book.
The goal of this “test” is to control for potential errors and prevent the most desired names from selling out in seconds
This system is the one used by other apps like X or Instagram, so the transition from phone number to username won’t be too traumatic for most social media users. Soon, instead of sharing your phone number, simply providing your username will allow others to find you or write to you. Even so, a beta phase is already underway, testing the new feature. The goal of this “test” is to control for potential errors and prevent the most desired names from selling out in seconds. The app has yet to announce an official launch date. WhatsApp plans a gradual, limited rollout to ensure all users have an equal opportunity to choose their name.
One of the main areas WhatsApp is focusing on is privacy. Therefore, the app will include an additional protection system based on a password, so knowing someone’s username won’t be enough to start a conversation. Someone who knows your username won’t be able to write to you without any filtering. Only someone who also has that password will be able to write to you, a measure designed to reduce spam and unwanted messages. Additionally, the Advanced Chat Privacy feature will also be included, preventing others from exporting chats or automatically downloading multimedia content, which will prevent messages from being used by artificial intelligence functions within the app.
Goal: being able to manage operations via WhatsApp without sharing your personal number
Therefore, based on the data we have, we can say that WhatsApp is going to take a leap forward, especially considering the ease of creating a username, as well as the peace of mind that comes from the fact that a giant like Meta is focusing on user privacy. Let’s remember that this app isn’t like any other social network. It typically covers more personal topics, such as work agreements, and the sharing of documents that may even be confidential, including passport photos, account numbers, personal photos, family photos, photos of minors, and so on. Therefore, privacy is practically non-negotiable.
In short, although it’s still in the testing phase, many users are already eagerly awaiting the new update. This way of communicating will especially positively impact small and medium-sized businesses, as being able to manage operations via WhatsApp without sharing your personal number or having to register a new number just to talk to clients via WhatsApp is a huge advantage.
