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WhatsApp is now gradually rolling out the username feature—which it has been developing for a long time—to select users. Users are seeing a banner notification in the app prompting them to reserve their username. However, this feature cannot be used in India due to restrictions imposed on security grounds.

**Username feature restricted in India**
Meta launched the username reservation facility for users in late June, allowing them to secure their preferred usernames ahead of the official launch. However, shortly thereafter, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to Meta, directing them to halt the rollout of the feature.
The government is concerned that the feature could be misused to exploit another person's identity. Consequently, its launch in India has been postponed pending a review of security measures.

**Which users are getting the feature? ****

According to a report by WABetaInfo, the feature is currently being activated for select users on both the beta and stable (official) versions of the app. Users who have received this feature see a banner above their chat list indicating that their username is active. They can then share their username with others, allowing the recipient to initiate a chat without needing to know their mobile number.

**How ​​to check if the username feature is working?**
To check if this feature is available on your account, go to **Settings** and then the **Account** section. Scroll down, and you will see the **Username** option.

Tapping on 'Username' will reveal an option to enter a username. You can type in your desired username and save it.

If the feature is not yet available, a message will appear stating, "Username feature coming soon. You will be notified when the feature is ready." If you have already reserved your username, it will be visible, but it has not yet been activated in India.

How will it work?
Once the username is activated, users will be able to share just their username instead of their mobile number. To enhance security, WhatsApp will also offer the option to set a 4-digit PIN, which new contacts will need to enter before initiating a chat.

Additionally, if your reserved username matches an account on Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp may require verification to confirm ownership of that account. This measure has been introduced to prevent impersonation and fraud.

As of now, neither Meta nor the Indian government has shared any official information regarding the launch date of this feature in India.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.