WhatsApp usernames just went live with the rollout already global, giving everyone the possibility to reserve their unique username for their account.
For sure, there's no rush in reserving one now, but reserving it earlier (which is now) would guarantee your ownership of the preferred username you'll want to have on the platform when the time comes.
In this guide, I'll show you the easy steps to create your own usernames on WhatsApp, together with managing its privacy so only those you trust would be able to reach out to you through your username.
How to Create a WhatsApp Username
You can create a username for your WhatsApp account as long as you are using the latest version of the app. So it's good that you make sure your WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app is updated to the latest version before proceeding with the steps below.
To create your WhatsApp username:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Tap the three-dot icon at the top right and select "Settings."
- From the Settings tab, select "Account."
- In the Account section, you'll see "Username." Just tap on it.
- Finally, create your unique username for your account.
These steps should work on the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps for both Android and iOS.
Setting Up Your Username Privacy
After creating your username, it is good to make sure that people reach you through it only the way you want them to.
That said, WhatsApp gives you full control over who can actually reach out to you through this username. Let's see how you can manage its privacy.
When you create your username, there's an option below it labeled "Contact me by username". Just tap on it to get to the next section. Going forward, you'll have two options to choose from: either "Everyone" or "People who know my key".
"Everyone" is what's selected by default, and with this, anyone who knows your username can contact you on WhatsApp. If you want to reserve that right just for those you trust, then you'll want to choose the second option, which is "People who know my key".
When you select the second option, you'll be shown an automatically generated 4-digit key, which renews every time you click through the option for more security. You can then save this key and share it together with your username with anyone you want to connect with you for the first time.
The Username Feature Isn't Available for My Account. What Should I Do?
If, after following the aforementioned steps and can't find the username feature in your account, it simply means WhatsApp hasn't rolled it out for your region yet (which, of course, considers the fact that you're using the latest version of WhatsApp). In this case, all you can do is wait for it to roll out in your region (it can take just a few days).
Why Now? What's Actually the Reason WhatsApp Decided to Release Usernames Now?
WhatsApp is the most used messaging app in the world, and with over 3.3 billion active users on the platform, just so many names can overlap.
According to WhatsApp, the username feature was released to help them easily manage these overlapping names, and in my opinion, I think this should reduce just so many erroneous moderation decisions on the app.
A more critical reason for this feature resides within the privacy core. We've all used platforms that let you own a unique ID, and even still, you don't have full control over the username, with a lot of people spamming you with unwanted messages.
Well, WhatsApp took a huge step ahead of these other platforms by letting you control who can actually reach out to you through your username. Plus, once you have a username set up, your phone number won't be visible in groups anymore. It is nothing like a member tag, just your username!
WhatsApp is one of the most direct routes to reach out to someone, even if you don't know them (something scammers love doing). Having a username will greatly reduce the rate at which scammers or random people reach out to you on the app.
Let me take a good example for your better understanding. Just imagine that you're in a commercial group and admins just reach out to you in any way they want through your phone number.
I don't know about you, but this is what I hate most about groups on WhatsApp. Now, the usernames eliminate this with the proper privacy settings (which is letting just people with your secure key reach out to you).
So if you have just met someone, maybe a friend or someone with whom you won't want to share your phone number, you can just give them your username instead.
Final Thoughts
WhatsApp usernames are what anyone whose focus is primarily on privacy needs. With this, you'll be able to control who can reach out to you while keeping your phone number private and only for those you want to have it.
This guide shows the steps you need to set up a username for your WhatsApp account and increase the control you have over your account's privacy.
