WhatsApp opens username reservations ahead of a gradual rollout

WhatsApp announced username reservations on June 29, 2026, ahead of a feature intended to let people contact someone new without sharing a phone number. Reservations start now; use of the feature will roll out gradually later in the year.

What people can do now

The announced route in the latest app is Settings > Account > Username. WhatsApp says it will notify people inside the app when usernames become available in their country.

That distinction matters to anyone who reserves a name and expects to receive messages through it immediately. Reserving an identifier and activating a way to communicate are separate stages. An availability notification provides clearer information than assuming that an app update enables every new feature for an account.

Names and numbers have different roles

WhatsApp’s explanation says a phone number remains necessary to register and use the service. Someone initiating contact through a username needs the exact name. An optional username key provides an additional control over who can start a conversation that way.

This separates the contact address a person shares from the wider question of account protection. Choosing a name to give another person serves one purpose; understanding who is on the other end of a conversation serves another. A message arriving under a familiar-looking name still needs to be understood in its context.

Consider a developer receiving a brief question from someone met at an event. A separate contact name could allow that conversation without making a personal number part of the exchange. That is a concrete use for the proposed change.

A different starting point for conversations

People may want to decide whether a username will be shared narrowly with new acquaintances or used as a more public contact address. Those choices shape expectations about who might get in touch and how the account represents its owner.

WhatsApp already provides blocking and reporting tools for unwanted contact. A username adds another choice for organising communication, while those tools remain useful for ending or reporting a conversation.

The useful measure of this rollout will be whether people understand what they are sharing and can distinguish a successful reservation from an activated feature. Following the in-app availability notice is therefore central to interpreting today’s announcement before relying on a username as an everyday contact method.