New Delhi: Messaging platform WhatsApp is soon bringing a new username feature for its users. After the introduction of this facility, people will be able to chat with each other without sharing their mobile number. The company says that this feature has been designed with the aim of improving the privacy of users. The process of reserving a preferred username will begin this week, while it will be made available to all users around the world in a phased manner by the end of the year.
Under the new feature, every user will be able to choose a unique username for his account. After this there will be no need to give mobile number to start a conversation with a new person. This feature will be especially useful for those who want to keep in touch with a new acquaintance, classmate, neighbor or someone they met at an event, but do not want to share their personal number.
This feature will also play an important role in group chat. Many times people want to be a part of a community, school, sports team or other group, but feel uncomfortable with their mobile number visible among strangers. With the help of the username feature, such users will be able to easily join the group while maintaining their identity and privacy.
According to the company, WhatsApp has billions of users worldwide. In such a situation, there can be many options for the same name. For this reason, the facility to reserve username is being started earlier so that people can reserve the unique name of their choice in time. The app will also suggest alternative names if the chosen name is not already available, making it easier to choose a new and different username.
This feature can also prove beneficial for small businesses, content creators and various organizations. If they wish, they will be able to claim the username they are using on Instagram or Facebook on WhatsApp as well. This will make it easier to maintain the same digital identity on different platforms.
To further strengthen privacy, the company has clarified that there will be no public username directory or search list available with this feature. To contact a person for the first time, it will be necessary to know his exact username. This can reduce the possibility of unwanted messages and spam to a great extent.
Apart from this, if users wish, they will also be able to set an additional “username key” for their account. This security layer will ensure that no one can send them a message the first time without the correct information. This will strengthen the security of the account.
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To set the username, you have to go to the latest version of WhatsApp and use the Settings > Account > Username option. The entire process will be completed in a few seconds. This feature will be rolled out in a phased manner in different countries in the coming months and when available, users will get information about it through notifications within the app.
