Username reservations are here, as more and more people claim theirs, here’s answers to the top questions you’re asking ⬇️
Q: Are usernames mandatory?
A: Nope, they are optional.
Q: What if the username I want isn’t available?
A: There’s a few reasons you might not be able to reserve the username you want:
1) It’s an existing Instagram or Facebook username; these are reserved for their owners.
2) We’ve held well-known names and some variations of them - like public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta-verified accounts - so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners. If you try to reserve those, the system will say it’s not available.
3) Someone already claimed a common name, in that case use the username generator.
Q: What if someone creates a username similar to mine to impersonate me or run a scam, how do you stop someone from pretending to be me?
A: Usernames are not available for messaging yet. When they are, and you get a message from someone new, we’ll let you know the country origin, and a warning for first time outreach. Well-known public-figure names and their variations are held for verified owners. We’re also keeping a close eye on blocks and reports to take action against scammers.
Q: Can random people message me if they know or guess my username?
A: Just like you can’t search for a phone number in WhatsApp, you can’t search for a username. The best way to prevent someone from contacting you is to add a username key and to choose a username that is unique to WhatsApp.
All the current measures remain in place to prevent unwanted contact, including warnings with details about unknown senders (whether they're a new account, if you share groups, what country they're in) and the ability to block and report.
Q: What is a username key?
A: An extra layer of protection you can enable with your username, so that another user will have to know both your username and your username key to contact you. You can reset your key at any time to stop new inbound contact through your username.
Q: Do I have to link my other Meta accounts?
A: If you want the same username as your Instagram or Facebook account, you’ll have to link them. This one of the ways to reduce impersonation and to make sure you’re the legitimate owner of the account. But after that, you can unlink the account if you want, or you can choose a username unique to WhatsApp.
Q: Can I change my username later?
A: Yes, as long as the new one you want is available.
A few more things to keep in mind...
People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames - this isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names.
We enabled reservations before usernames launch later this year because we think people will feel strongly about what username they want on WhatsApp. We’re taking our time and listening to feedback so that when it rolls out later this year we get it right.
your phone number is personal and sometimes you want to connect without handing it over. that's why we're introducing usernames for WhatsApp.
starting this week, you can reserve a username to use later this year when we launch the feature. It takes just a few seconds, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp and then go to Settings > Account > Username.
Eid Mubarak 🌙✨
May this beautiful season bring peace to your heart, joy to your home, and endless blessings to your journey. Here’s to love, gratitude, and fresh beginnings. 🤍
#EidMubarak#realmaxville.
@aedcelectricity Good morning.
Please what's the reason behind the epileptic power supply in recent times? For 3 nights now, we haven't slept with power and yet we are charged as BandA? Can someone explain the rationale behind this? Can power be restored now?
📍- 693 rd Gwarinpa.
@gtbank Good evening.
I was debited for a service and the receiver hasn't gotten the payment neither gave i gotten a refund.
Please i need my money back.
I am no longer affiliated with The German Language School.
For clarity and Transparency:
Before working with them, I personally attended their classes, reviewed their social media platforms, and assessed their structure. Based on that, I agreed to collaborate and publicly invited my audience to a free trial class.
I put in a lot of work onboarding everyone according to our agreement. I handled communication personally, answered questions, shared links, sent reminders, and made sure people showed up. I took that responsibility seriously.
Unfortunately, the actual trial sessions did not reflect the quality, coordination, or preparedness I had observed earlier or felt comfortable recommending. This led to a loss of trust and credibility with my audience, which I take seriously.
As a result, I chose to withdraw fully rather than continue endorsing something that didn’t align with my standards. I’ve communicated this privately to the school and transparently to those I onboarded.
I wish them well going forward, but I am no longer involved in any capacity.
@aedcelectricity
Every part of my estate has power but my road.
Please can you help. The weather is hot and it's been impossible to sleep.
Road 6932 gwarinpa.
@AirtelNigeria Why has your network been terrible please? I haven't been able to do anything thanks to your epileptic network and it is driving me nuts. 😫😫
I can't get anything done 😪