WhatsApp, the Meta-owned international messaging app, has been engaged on a function for a while now the place it is possible for you to to present out a username as a substitute of your cellphone quantity to these you need to message with. This has been a extremely requested function that has seemingly taken very lengthy to implement because it was noticed final yr in a beta construct. Nevertheless, it now seems that extra work is being completed to check this function, indicating that it’s nonetheless on the desk.
In contrast to in the US, the place Apple’s iMessage and old skool SMS have a stronghold on messaging, the remainder of the world makes use of different options. WhatsApp is one in every of them in locations like India, Latin America, and a few components of Europe, which subsequently interprets to customers in these residing in the US who’ve family and friends in these places.
For customers in all places, the WhatsApp workforce has been engaged on introducing the choice to generate usernames. Information on the progress of this function was quiet for some time, however primarily based on the most recent WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.3.10.72 model (as noticed by WABetaInfo), it seems like this function is about to take off.
Picture Supply: WABetaInfo
On this model, the part inside the app the place customers can select a username is as soon as once more current. This time, although, the app will provoke a validation course of to guarantee that the username chosen is legitimate. The validation consists of ensuring the the username is exclusive and solely permits for alphanumeric characters (a-z and 0-9). This supplies the choice to maintain your cellphone quantity hidden, which supplies quite a few advantages with regards to privateness.
At the moment, exchanging contact data for WhatsApp includes revealing your cellphone quantity, which might be regarding for people who want sure anonymity, be it for safety or private causes. Whereas customers will in all probability nonetheless want a quantity to arrange an account, having the choice of a username permits them to be extra selective about who sees it.
Moreover, this function might be helpful to those who need a username that’s a lot simpler for family and friends to recollect, slightly than a sequence of numbers. Sadly, WhatsApp has but to supply an official timeline for when usernames will probably be obtainable to all customers, however we hope this turns into a spotlight for the app’s builders this yr.
