WhatsApp may soon add @username handles, moving beyond phone numbers

WhatsApp is reportedly preparing to introduce a long-anticipated update that will allow users to create usernames, moving away from its long-standing reliance on phone numbers. Since its launch in 2009, the Meta-owned messaging platform has only enabled registration and contact discovery through mobile numbers, a system that has increasingly looked dated compared with competitors such as Telegram, which has offered usernames for years.

WhatsApp preparing to roll out usernames