WhatsApp Ends Mandatory Phone Number Sharing with New Usernames

The change, arriving later this year, addresses a long-standing friction point where users felt forced to disclose private digits to clients or new acquaintances. By decoupling the account from a visible phone number, the company hopes to lower the stakes of exchanging contact information. Meta is proactively reserving existing Facebook and Instagram handles for their current owners to ensure consistency across its ecosystem.

To mitigate security risks, WhatsApp confirmed it will permanently protect high-profile usernames associated with public figures and brands to prevent impersonation. As WhatsApp’s head of product noted, the simple act of sharing a phone number currently carries a weight that the platform aims to eliminate, effectively treating the app more like a professional messaging service than a strictly personal contact list.