Crucial free WhatsApp upgrade confirmed and you must activate it this week
WhatsApp has announced the release of a vital update that means users no longer have to share phone numbers.
WhatsApp might be the most popular chat app on the planet, but it has long had one major flaw. To talk to someone and send messages, you have to share your phone number, which isn't always ideal. Handing over that extremely personal data - especially to someone you've just met or via a group chat - can seem like a step too far, and WhatsApp clearly thinks it's time for a crucial change.
The Meta-owned service has just announced that users will soon be able to set up a simple user name, which will make things far more private. Once activated, WhatsApp fans can simply share this name rather than their phone number.
"When someone new walks into your life – a classmate, a neighbour, someone you meet at an event – sharing a phone number can feel like a big step," WhatsApp explained.
"That’s because a phone number is personal and it’s tied to so many parts of your life. Sometimes you just want to chat without handing over your digits.
"This is also true for group conversations. You want to join the parent chat for the soccer team but you’re not ready to give your phone number to people you've never met.
"That's why we're introducing usernames for WhatsApp."
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Now, here is the important part, as WhatsApp has over a billion users worldwide. So, to get the user name you want, you must activate the feature as soon as possible and pick your unique name. WhatsApp has confirmed that users can register from this week.
"Starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch this feature," WhatsApp added.
"With over three billion people on WhatsApp a lot of names overlap, which is why we're opening reservations early so everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them. "
Reserving your optional username takes just a few seconds on the latest version of WhatsApp. Just go to Settings > Account > Username and pick what you want.
WhatsApp then says it will be rolling out usernames gradually over the coming months and will notify users in WhatsApp when they're available in their country.
