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“The Time is Now” is WhatsApp’s original documentary following @bukayosaka87 as he faces the biggest moment of his career 🏆
@iamrakeshbansal you don’t have to! usernames are totally optional so if you don’t want to use one, nothing will change for you
@simplytee23 no, you’ll have to know someone’s exact username to contact them as there is no directory or suggestions. users can also enable a username key that you’ll have to know to reach out for additional privacy
usernames is a new way to connect with someone on WhatsApp without giving away your phone number.
when you meet someone new - a classmate, a neighbor, someone you meet at an event - sharing a phone number can feel like a big step.
it's an optional feature designed to give you control over how you show up in the app and who gets to see your phone number.
@henry58290 username reservations are open and available globally, make sure you're using the latest version of the app and go to Settings > Profile > Username (trying tapping the gray area near your profile pic to get to your profile too) and you should see it!
usernames is an optional feature designed to give you control over who gets to see your phone number.
for example, when you meet someone new - a classmate, a neighbor, someone you meet at an event - sharing a phone number can feel like a big step, so if you have a username, you can give them that instead.
not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions in the app, so people would need your exact username to contact you. there's also an optional key for added privacy, and if enabled, people would need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most privacy, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.
not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions in the app, so someone would need to know your exact username to contact you. there's also an optional key for added privacy, so if enabled, someone would need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most private option, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.
well-known names - like public figures, celebrities and Meta-verified accounts - are held so only their legitimate owners can claim them. no one will be able to reserve a well-known celebrity's name and try to sell it back to them.
additionally, existing Facebook and Instagram usernames are reserved for their owners during the reservation period so only you can claim yours..
@TechnovityTech to protect against impersonation, we’ve held well-known names and some of their variations - like public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts - so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners.
@thinkspeak37986 if someone connects with you by username, they will not be able to access your phone number
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.
@salmanhaider987 you're making moves
@ctoLarsson high-profile names are held so only legitimate owners can claim them and our systems detect and remove impersonation patterns. additionally, creators, small businesses, and organizations can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp.
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.
we’ve built multiple layers of defense against scams into usernames: the optional username key limits who can reach you with your username and unlike Telegram, they need to know the exact username to message you. we will rate limit how many new people any account can contact, block on repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and have systems to detect and remove other activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns.
not quite - there’s no directory and no suggestions, so people need your exact username to contact you. we also built an optional key for added privacy, if enabled people will need both your username and the key to contact you. for the most privacy, choose a username that’s unique to WhatsApp.
@techdroider there is no directory or suggestions - you’ll have to know someone’s exact username to contact them and users can also enable a username key that you’ll have to know to reach out
@kanthify that’s fine! usernames are optional and if you don’t want to use one, nothing changes for you
usernames are our latest step to give our users more private options for how they show up in the app. it’s entirely optional and most users will choose unique usernames, but we're mindful that some people want consistency in how they show up across apps.
there's no directory to browse and no suggestions, and if you enable the username key, no one can reach out to you via usernames unless they also have the key.
just like today, if someone new messages you, you'll see if they're a new account, in your contacts, if you share groups, or if they're based in a different country, and you are always in control of adding, blocking, or reporting them.
we built usernames to give our users more private options for how they show up in the app, and it’s entirely optional. most users will choose unique usernames but we’re mindful that some businesses or people might want consistency in how they show up across apps.
your username has nothing to do with ads and there is no directory or suggestions - you’ll have to know someone’s exact username, and if they enable a username key, you’ll also have to know that to reach out.
this is rolling out slowly and we’re taking our time to get it right and listen to feedback.
@TalBeerySec username reservations are rolling out throughout the week, so make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp downloaded and keep an eye on your app
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